Japanese baseball superstar Ohtani Shohei has done it again. The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter has been named Most Valuable Player for the third time in his Major League Baseball career.
Ohtani was a unanimous choice for National League MVP, receiving all 30 first-place votes cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
It’s the latest in a string of historic firsts. The MVP award has never been given to a designated hitter before.
Ohtani is also only the second player in MLB history to be named MVP in both the National and American leagues, having won the award in 2021 and 2023, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels.
Earlier this year, he became the first MLB player ever to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season.
Ohtani snuggled up with his wife, Mamiko, and pet dog Dekopin – better known as Decoy to American fans – to watch the MVP award announcement on a live feed.
The news was delivered by his Dodgers teammate, Clayton Kershaw, who won the award in 2014.
But the excitement was too much for Dekopin. As the couple watched on a sofa, the dog jumped off and ran away just as the announcement was being made.
The couple appeared to be taken by surprise, but they quickly recovered their composure, smiling and exchanging fist bumps.
Ohtani played in a career-high 159 games during the 2024 regular season. He finished with a .310 batting average, the second highest in the league.
