Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani was crowned the National League’s Most Valuable Player Thursday night. Ohtani won NL MVP honors for the second consecutive year and paired the accolade with back-to-back World Series rings.
In eight seasons in MLB, Ohtani has won Rookie of the Year, won four MVPs, and won two championships. No one else in MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL history has done all of that in his first eight seasons, according to OptaSTATS.
Ohtani now has the second-most MVPs in MLB history, behind baseball legend Barry Bonds, who has seven MVP awards. Ohtani has won three straight MVPs, beginning the streak in 2023 when he won the AL MVP as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers and continued his winning ways in Dodger blue. The two-way star was exclusively a designated hitter for his 2024 MVP campaign, where he finished the season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
In 2025, Ohtani made his long-awaited return to the mound after undergoing surgery to repair a torn UCL in September 2023. His first outing on the mound was a short one as Ohtani served as an opener in June against the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers slowly built Ohtani back up as his starts continued to go longer as the season progressed. By the postseason, Ohtani was fully ramped up and able to serve as a starter in every playoff series during the Dodgers’ World Series run.
Ohtani, the hitter, finished the regular season with 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 146 runs scored and an OPS of 1.014.
Ohtani, the pitcher, made 14 starts, producing a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts across 47 innings in 2025.
While Ohtani is already regarded as a unicorn in baseball, his talent has seemingly transcended the sports world in general, as his resume is unmatched throughout his first eight MLB seasons.
