Shohei Ohtani wins his 3rd MVP award in 1st season with Dodgers
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani tips his helmet to the crowd during the first inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. The day before, Ohtani became the first MLB player ever to hit at least 50 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in the same season. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, along with teammate Teoscar Hernández and others, hugs relief pitcher Blake Treinen (49) after they defeated the San Diego Padres, 2-0, to win Game 5 of the National League Division Series on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani watches the flight of his three-run home run during the second inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the second inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani grounds out during the sixth inning of a game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani watches his double as he leaves the batter’s box during the first inning of the team’s home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Ohtani was thrown out at third base trying to extend the play. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, left, high-fives teammate Freddie Freeman, right, as the team celebrates after defeating the San Diego Padres, 2-0, in Game 5 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani begins to run after hitting a double during the first inning of team’s home opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Ohtani was thrown out at third base trying to extend the play. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is introduced prior to their home opener against the Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani smiles during a celebration of the team’s 2024 World Series title at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani celebrates as he advances to second base on a San Diego Padres error after driving in the go-ahead run with an RBI single during the seventh inning on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, at Dodger Stadium in late September. The Dodgers rallied for a 7-2 win and secured their 11th NL West title in the past 12 years. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani slides into second base after hitting an RBI double during the eighth inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani watches the flight of his three-run home off of San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease during the second inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani watches the flight of his three-run home off of San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease (not pictured) during the second inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after scoring past San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey on a double by teammate Will Smith (not pictured) during the third inning on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is showered with sunflower seeds as he returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, July 6, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is the winner of the National League Most Valuable Player award after he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
Ohtani won the American League MVP in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is seen prior to a game against the Angels at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani watches the flight of his solo home run — his first of the season — during the seventh inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani drops his bat as he watches the flight of his solo home run — his first of the season — during the seventh inning of a game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani summons his dog Decoy to deliver the ceremonial first pitch prior to their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani congratulates his dog Decoy after Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani congratulates his dog Decoy after Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani watches the flight of his two-run home run, his 50th of the season, during the seventh inning of their game against the Miami Marlins last Thursday in Miami. The ball, which gave him the first 50-home run, 50-stolen base season in MLB history, was retrieved by a fan and will go up for auction on Friday, with an opening bid of $500,000. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a two-run home run, his 50th of the season, during the seventh inning of their game against the Marlins on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Miami. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani reacts after hitting his 50th home run of the season during the seventh inning of a game against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits a three-run home run in the third inning against the American League during the 94th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Globe Life Field on July 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning of the MLB All-Star Game on July 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Fans of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hold signs as they wait for the team’s arrival at Incheon International Airport on Friday, March 15, 2024, in Incheon, South Korea, ahead of the team’s two-game series against the San Diego Padres. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
A mural of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani titled “LA Rising” on the side of the Miyako hotel by Boyle Heights artist Robert Vargas along 1st street in Los Angeles on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shohei Ohtani won two Most Valuable Player awards with the Angels, doing things no player had ever done before.
He won his third MVP in his first season with the Dodgers – still doing things no player had ever done before.
The first 50/50 season ever landed Ohtani the National League’s MVP award for 2024. Like his first two, Ohtani was a unanimous choice, receiving all 30 first-place votes. Finishing a distant second was New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor who received 23 second-place votes and seven third-place votes.
Ohtani is the 12th player to win as many as three MVP awards. Only one player – seven-time winner Barry Bonds – has ever won more than three, a record the 30-year-old Ohtani will certainly take aim at during the nine years remaining on his record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
Ohtani is the first of those three-time winners to win each of his awards unanimously
He joins Hall of Famer Frank Robinson as the only players to win MVP awards in both leagues. Robinson won with the Cincinnati Reds in the National League in 1961 and with the Baltimore Orioles in the American League in 1966.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was also a unanimous choice as the American League MVP.
“I’m just taking this as representing the team in winning this award,” Ohtani said during the awards show on MLB Network. “Obviously I didn’t go into the season trying to get the MVP award. I was more focused on being one of the guys with a new team with the Dodgers. I also wanted to embrace the fans and let them learn who I was.
“The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series which we were able to accomplish. … Right now, the next goal is for me to do it again. Right now, I’m in the middle of rehab (from shoulder surgery), working out, getting stronger. I’m looking forward to next year and running it back.”
Ohtani is the first Dodger to be voted MVP since Cody Bellinger in 2019 and the 13th overall (including Roy Campanella who won it three times).
Stripped of his ability to pitch until next season, Ohtani became the first designated hitter to win the award in either league (Ohtani also pitched when he won his two AL MVPs). Ohtani also won the Edgar Martinez Award as the top DH in either league (his fourth consecutive season winning that award), a Silver Slugger award and the Hank Aaron Award as the top offensive player in the National League.
“I didn’t have specific number goals,” Ohtani said on MLB Network when asked if he targeted a 50/50 season. “I did want to improve my stolen base numbers (since he wasn’t pitching).”
He finished second in the majors in home runs (behind the 58 hit by the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge) and stolen bases (behind the 67 swiped by Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz). The last time a player finished in the top two in both of those categories was Ty Cobb in 1909.
Dodgers clean up with 3 individual Silver Sluggers and team award
Ohtani led the National League in runs scored (134), RBIs (130), on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.646), OPS (1.036) and home runs. His .310 batting average was second in the NL, just four points short of San Diego’s Luis Arraez – and just short of the first Triple Crown in the NL since 1939.
The surgery is not expected to impact his ability to play DH, but the shoulder rehab will affect the completion of Ohtani’s rehab from last year’s elbow surgery and postpone his pitching debut until after the start of the 2025 season. The Dodgers are scheduled to start the season early again, this time with two games in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19.