Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has done it again! On Thursday, he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), cementing his place in baseball history. This announcement is extra special because Ohtani is now the first player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. Yes, you read that right—50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season. Unreal!
Ohtani’s award also makes him one of just two players ever to win the MVP title in both leagues. The only other player to pull off this feat was the legendary Frank Robinson, who won in 1961 and 1966.
Ohtani’s 2024 season was nothing short of magical. In his very first year with the Dodgers, he smashed personal records left and right. He hit 54 home runs, stole 59 bases, and had his best batting average yet at .310. Oh, and he also racked up 130 RBIs (runs batted in) and 197 hits while leading the league in runs, total bases, and extra-base hits. No wonder the Dodgers had the best record in baseball!
But wait, there’s more. Earlier this year, Ohtani broke another milestone when he hit his 176th career home run, officially becoming the MLB’s home run king for players born in Japan. By the end of the season, he had 225 career homers—talk about crushing it!
Fans will probably never forget his Sept. 19 game against the Miami Marlins, where Ohtani reached the jaw-dropping 50-50 mark. The ball he hit during that historic game sold for an eye-popping $4.4 million at auction just weeks later.
Awards seem to follow Ohtani wherever he goes. Just this month, he was honored with the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award for the fourth year in a row. He also took home the National League’s Hank Aaron Award as the top hitter and snagged a Louisville Slugger Award. Oh, and let’s not forget he made the 2024 All-MLB First Team.
It’s been a dream year for Ohtani and the Dodgers, who also claimed the 2024 World Series title by defeating the New York Yankees. Ohtani’s fellow MVP finalists—Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets and Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks—had great seasons too, but this year clearly belonged to the Japanese sensation.
Shohei Ohtani has already proven he’s a once-in-a-lifetime player, and his 2024 season is just another chapter in his incredible story. What will he do next? We can’t wait to find out!
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