Ohtani continues to achieve feats no other baseball player has ever accomplished and on Thursday, November 21, became the first full-time designated hitter to earn the honor.
In his debut season with the Dodgers, Ohtani made history as the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. His 54 homers led the NL, while his 59 stolen bases ranked second across all of baseball. Ohtani also finished second in the NL with a .310 batting average and topped the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS—making him the undisputed best hitter of the year.
This marks Ohtani’s third MVP award, having previously won twice in the AL while with the Angels. However, unlike his earlier MVP campaigns where he excelled as both a pitcher and hitter, this season he was limited to designated hitting while recovering from offseason elbow surgery.
Despite the setback, Ohtani’s dominance at the plate in 2024 was unmatched, playing a pivotal role in leading the Dodgers to the best record in baseball and ultimately a World Series championship. With this MVP win, Ohtani joins Hall of Famer Frank Robinson as the only players to win the award in both leagues. He’s also the first player in history to be unanimously named MVP three times.
Read more about Shohei Ohtani in this issue of DiversityComm Magazine!
