What a season, huh?
When you hear the name Shohei Ohtani, you probably picture a Japanese phenom who can both crush home runs and fire fastballs like a seasoned ace. But this past year, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar turned that image into a full‑blown legend. On a crisp Thursday afternoon, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America handed him every single first‑place vote for the National League Most Valuable Player, marking his fourth MVP in five seasons – and every one of those honors came unanimously. That’s a feat only Barry Bonds has eclipsed, with seven unanimous titles, and it puts Ohtani in a stratospheric tier that spans every major American sport.
A vote that left no room for debate
The BBWAA ballot was a landslide. Ohtani snagged all 30 first‑place votes, racking up a perfect 420 points. The runner‑up, Phillies’ power hitter Kyle Schwarber, managed 23 second‑place votes and a modest 260 points. New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto and Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo split the remaining votes, while Trea Turner snagged a solitary third‑place nod. In tabular form, the top five looked like this:
| Player | First‑place | Second‑place | Third‑place | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | 30 | 0 | 0 | 420 |
| Kyle Schwarber | 0 | 23 | 5 | 260 |
| Juan Soto | 0 | 4 | 15 | 231 |
| Geraldo Perdomo | 0 | 3 | 7 | 196 |
| Trea Turner | 0 | 0 | 1 | 102 |
Numbers that tell a story
Ohtani’s 2025 line‑up reads like a cheat sheet for a fantasy baseball dream. He posted a .282/.392/.622 slash line, belted 55 long balls – a franchise‑record for the second straight year – and posted an adjusted OPS of 179, the highest in the National League. But the real kicker? He didn’t just sit in the batter’s box.
After a second UCL reconstruction, Ohtani returned to the mound for 14 starts, posting a sparkling 2.87 ERA, striking out 62 batters over 47 innings, and closing the regular season with 16⅔ scoreless innings. That dual‑threat performance helped the Dodgers clinch the NL pennant and, ultimately, a World Series title, making Ohtani the first full‑time designated hitter ever to win an MVP.
Two‑Way greatness in the postseason
The playoffs were a showcase of Ohtani’s versatility on a grand stage. In the NL Championship Series, he tossed six shutout innings, fanning ten, then turned around and launched three homers in the same game. The World Series saw him reach base all nine times he stepped up in an 18‑inning marathon, four of those via intentional walks. He finished the postseason with eight home runs, tying a Dodgers franchise record set by Corey Seager in 2020.
Those moments weren’t just statistical quirks; they were clutch, high‑pressure contributions that swung games and cemented his reputation as a player who thrives when the stakes are highest.
Where does Ohtani rank among the all‑time greats?
Historically, only a handful of players have ever collected MVP honors in both leagues – Frank Robinson being the most famous. Ohtani joins that elite club, and he does it with a flair that no other modern athlete can match. ESPN’s research points out that he’s the sole player across MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and the NHL to capture an MVP and a championship in each of his first two seasons with a new team.
When you stack his five‑year MVP stretch against legends like Babe Ruth, Mike Trout, or even the modern juggernaut Aaron Judge, Ohtani’s blend of power, speed, and pitching prowess creates a statistical profile that’s virtually unprecedented. His FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement (WAR) sits at a league‑leading 44.4, dwarfing the next best, Judge, who sits at 42.8.
Contract talk and the Dodgers’ gamble
The Dodgers made a bold move in December 2023, signing Ohtani to a ten‑year, $700 million deal that was heavily deferred. Critics called it a financial gamble, but the return on that investment has been nothing short of spectacular. In his first season, Ohtani helped the Dodgers clinch a World Series, becoming the first full‑time DH to win MVP. Two years later, he’s back on the mound, adding another championship to his résumé and delivering a second MVP that was unanimously endorsed by the writers.
That contract, once viewed as a risk, now looks like a masterstroke. It also sets a new benchmark for future two‑way players, showing that teams can invest heavily in a talent that can influence the game from both sides of the diamond.
What Ohtani says about the honor
In a modest press conference conducted through an interpreter, Ohtani expressed gratitude, noting that the unanimous nature of the award made it feel “extra special.” He emphasized that his success is a team effort, saying, “Everything has to do with your teammates. If I’m playing well, it means we’re winning games.” He hinted at more MVPs to come, but his focus remains squarely on winning championships.
His humility is refreshing in an era where superstar athletes often dominate headlines with self‑promotion. Instead, Ohtani lets his performance do the talking, and the numbers certainly do the shouting.
Legacy in the making
Two seasons with the Dodgers, two MVPs, two championships – it’s a résumé that would make any Hall of Famer blush. Yet Ohtani’s story is still unfolding. At 31, he’s already broken barriers that once seemed insurmountable for a two‑way player. The question on everyone’s mind is how much farther he can push the envelope.
Will he add more MVPs? Will he continue to dominate both on the mound and at the plate? One thing’s for sure: baseball’s landscape has been irrevocably altered by his presence. Future generations will grow up hearing about the Japanese phenom who could pitch a shutout and hit a 60‑home‑run season in the same year. And they’ll have the stats to prove it.
