NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani keeps setting Major League Baseball records, even after the season is over.
The Los Angeles Dodgers star added his third season MVP award to his collection and first in the National League when he was chosen unanimously by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in voting that was completed before the playoffs and announced Thursday.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees won the American League award for the second time, also unanimously.
Last year, Ohtani became the first two-time unanimous MVP. He won the AL award in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star hitting and pitching for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting.
Ohtani didn’t take the mound in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery and signing a record-setting $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers last December. He became the first player with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single MLB regular season, then helped the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the World Series as the best-of-seven set wrapped up in five games.
“The fact that I knew I wasn’t going to be able to pitch this season just made me focus more on my offensive game, and fortunately I was able to produce and get this award,” Ohtani said through a translator.
The 30-year-old from Japan, who made his MLB debut with the Angels in 2018, sat on a red sofa with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, and their dog, Decoy, as Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw announced the award on the MLB Network. Decoy, a Nederlanse kooikerhondje, immediately jumped away.
Ohtani received all 30 first-place votes and 420 points. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points in NL MVP voting, and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was third with 229.
Judge, 32, who made his MLB debut in 2016, was a unanimous MVP pick for the first time. Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes in the AL race for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points.
AP file photo by Adam Hunger / New York Yankees star Aaron Judge received all 30 first-place votes for American League MVP for the 2024 season in balloting completed before the playoffs and announced Thursday night.Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter.
A highlight of the season was during the dog days. Ball in mouth, Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch to his owner at Dodger Stadium’s home plate before an Aug. 28 game against the Baltimore Orioles.
“The most nerve-wracking game that I had, the most nervous I was when we had that Decoy throw out the first pitch,” he said.
Ohtani played the final three games of the World Series with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Still recovering from right elbow surgery in September 2023, Ohtani had another operation on Nov. 5 to repair the shoulder and has been working on range of motion and started Thursday on core and lower-body work.
“The goal is to be ready for opening day, and that includes hitting and pitching,” Ohtani said. “But we are kind of taking our time.”
When Ohtani resumes pitching, could he win MVP and the Cy Young Award in the same year?
“That would obviously be great, but right now my focus is just to get to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and show everybody what I can do,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani became the first primary designated hitter and first player who didn’t appear defensively for a single inning to win MVP. His season started with the revelation that longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara had stolen nearly $17 million from the star to fund gambling.
Ohtani is the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and 10 players with three each: Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Schmidt and Mike Trout.
“Moving forward, I think now we do have a target on our back,” Ohtani said. “We are going to be expected to maybe even do — possibly even do more.”
Judge led the majors with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 31 stolen bases and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs.
When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper, who was the NL winner in 2015 — when he was still with the Washington Nationals — and 2021.
“I was telling him, ‘Man, I’m going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,'” Judge recalled. “He’d say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he’ll do.”
Judge is the Yankees’ 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team.
He was hitting .207 with six home runs and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 home runs and 126 RBIs in 127 games.
“March and April were not my friend this year.” Judge said. “Just keep putting in the work, and things are going to change. You can’t mope. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. So you’ve just got to go out there and put up the numbers.”