Shohei Ohtani was named one of Major League Baseball’s Most Valuable Players on Thursday in Los Angeles, where the Dodgers star collected the honour for a third consecutive year and the fourth time overall. The award capped a season in which the 31 year old played a central role in the Dodgers winning a second straight World Series by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this month.
Ohtani’s status as the sport’s defining two way talent remained undisputed, as he delivered at elite level both as a pitcher and as a hitter. His unanimous selection, with all 30 first place votes, maintained a perfect record in MVP balloting and moved him to second on the all time list behind Barry Bonds, who won seven between 1990 and 2004.
Speaking through an interpreter, Ohtani said individual accolades only matter in the context of team performance. “If I am playing well as an individual that means I am helping the team win, so in that sense, hopefully I can end up with a couple more MVPs,” he said. “But it is all about winning games.”
Ohtani also became the first player to win the award in both of MLB’s leagues, having been named American League MVP in 2021 and 2023 during his time with the Los Angeles Angels.
In the American League, Aaron Judge secured his third MVP, becoming the fourth New York Yankee to do so. Judge, who previously won in 2022 and 2024, joined Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle as the club’s three time winners.
“It is tough for me to wrap my head around,” Judge said. “It is mind blowing from my side of things, because I play this game to win, I play this game for my team mates, my family, all the fans in New York. You have got to pinch yourself every single day. It is truly an incredible honour.”
