LA Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani and NY Yankees’ Aaron Judge earn unanimous MVP honours
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People in Tokyo celebrate as Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers was named Most Valuable Player of Major League Baseball's National League.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani of World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers has unanimously been named the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP), while New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge took home the American League honours in similar fashion on Nov 21.
Japan’s 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,” he said through his interpreter. “Obviously, if my teammates weren’t there and we didn’t play as a team, we would not even have got to the play-offs 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 a two-way standout playing for the Los Angeles Angels.
He 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 recovering from elbow surgery that left him unable to pitch in 2024, Ohtani, who signed a US$700 million (S$943.6 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.
The 30-year-old, often compared to Major League Baseball (MLB) great Babe Ruth because of his ability to pitch and hit at an elite level, led the National League in several categories this season, including home runs, RBI, runs scored and on-base percentage.
“I didn’t go into the season trying to strive to get the MVP award,” added Ohtani.
“I was more focused on being one of the guys with the new team, with the Dodgers.
“I wanted to obviously embrace the fans as well and kind of let them know who I was, and that was my main focus heading into this season.”
In the American League, Judge beat out Juan Soto – a free agent who spent the 2024 season with the Yankees – and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr for the MVP honours.
Judge led the MLB in a slew of categories including homers, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and walks. It marked his second American League MVP award, having also won in 2022.
The 32-year-old is the 17th multiple MVP winner in the American League. REUTERS
