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Captured from the MLB Network Shohei Ohtani, appearing with his wife Mamiko on the MLB Network program, celebrates winning the Most Valuable Player award in the National League on Thursday.
By Toshiaki Obitsu / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
13:20 JST, November 22, 2024
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League’s Most Valuable Player Award for the first time on Thursday.
This is the third MVP honor for Ohtani, 30, who won the award for the American League in 2021 and 2023, when he was playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
As on the past two occasions, his victory was a unanimous one, with all 30 voting members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ranking him first among the candidates. This is the first time a single player has been chosen unanimously three times. Ohtani also became the first player in 58 years, and the second ever, to win the award in both leagues. He is also the first ever player to achieve the feat for two consecutive years. He now joins a twelve-way tie for the second-highest number of MVP awards won by any player. He is the first to become an MVP after serving as a designated hitter throughout the season.
Photo by Koki Kataoka / The Yomiuri Shimbun Shohei Ohtani of Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting his 53rd home run of the season in the ninth game against Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles on Sept. 22.
Ohtani was fully engaged in batting this season. His batting average was .310, and he made 54 homers and 130 RBIs, earning him the crown of home run leader for the second year in a row and giving him more runs batted in than anyone else — the first time the latter has been achieved by a Japanese player. He also stole 59 bases this season, giving him the unprecedented achievement of reaching and surpassing 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
