Shohei Ohtani of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers has unanimously been named the National League Most Valuable Player, while New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge took home the American League honors in similar fashion on Thursday. The Japanese-born Ohtani earned all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America to beat out New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. "I wouldn't have been able to receive this award if it weren't for my teammates," Ohtani said through his interpreter while appearing on MLB Network.
"Obviously if my teammates weren't there and we didn't play as a team we would not even have got to the playoffs or won the World Series. So for me, I am just taking this as I'm representing the team receiving this award." It marked the third MVP award for Ohtani, who was named the unanimous MVP in the American League in 2021 and 2023 when he was two-way standout playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani joins Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, who won in 1961 with Cincinnati and 1966 with Baltimore, as the only players to win an MVP award in each league but he is the first to do it in back-to-back years. While rehabbing from elbow surgery that left him unable to pitch in 2024, Ohtani, who signed a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers last December, became the first player in history with 50 or more home runs and 50 or more stolen bases in the same season. Ohtani, .