Baseball

Shohei Ohtani Thanks Angels for His Winning MVP Award

From MLB’s official X
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, right, and Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna

Jiji Press

10:56 JST, January 29, 2024

New York (Jiji Press)—Major league baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani, who played for the Los Angeles Angels last year, has expressed his gratitude to the team for his winning the American League MVP award for the 2023 season.

“This MVP award is very prestigious, and winning this award means a glory to me,” the Japanese two-way player said in a speech at the award ceremony in New York on Saturday.

“To the Angels organization, ownership, front office and the entire staff, thank you for the past six years,” Ohtani said, citing support and encouragements from his teammates and coaching staff. “I felt your support every day.”

In the 2023 season, Ohtani hit 44 homers to win the American League home run title for the first time. As a pitcher, he marked 10 wins and five losses.

Ohtani was named the American League MVP for the second time following the selection in 2021. He won the honor unanimously, as he did in 2021.

After playing for the Angels, an American League team, for six years until 2023, Ohtani has moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a National League team.

“To the Dodgers organization for believing in me, I’m looking forward to this next phase in my career,” Ohtani said in the speech.

The award ceremony was held by the New York branch of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The ceremony was also attended by players including Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., who won the 2023 National League MVP award, and New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, winner of the American League Cy Young award for the 2023 season.