Shohei Ohtani Unanimously Named 2024 National League MVP in Historic Season

The Baseball Writers Association of America unanimously named Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees' Aaron Judge as Major League Baseball's Most Valuable Players on Thursday.

Ohtani won his third career MVP award and his first in the Major Leagues. He is the player with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. In his debut season with the Dodgers after signing a record $ 700 million, 10-year contract, Ohtani becomes only the second player to win the MVP awards in both leagues, joining the Hall of Fame Frank Robinson and first in successive seasons.

"I'm just representing Dodgers, it was a complete team effort, I wouldn't have been able to receive this prize if it weren't for my teammates," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "If my teammates weren't there and we weren't playing as a team, we wouldn't have even made the playoffs or won the World Series, so I think it's about representing the team in this award."

Despite not playing this year after elbow surgery, the 30-year-old helped lead the Dodgers to their eighth World Series title.

As the first designated hitter to win MVP honors, Ohtani hit a .310 batting average, stole 59 bases, and led the National League with a franchise-record 54 home runs and 130 runs batted in. Ohtani's season at the plate also earned him other accolades, including his third Silver Slugger of his career, the Hank Aaron Award in 2024, and the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Hitter of the Year in 2024.

The Japanese superstar was previously unanimously named MVP in 2021 and 2023 while playing with the Los Angeles Angels, where he began his career after moving from Japan in 2018. Notably, he finished second to Aaron Judge in the 2022 American League MVP race.

He is the 12th player in MLB history to win MVP honors at least three times, joining Barry Bonds (7 times), Jimmy Fox, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial and Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mick Mantle, Mike Schmidt and Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujol and Mike Trout - all of whom won three times. The other National League finalists were New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Kettel Marte.