Shohei Ohtani Won his fourth MVP award. As expected, the two-way superstar was once again named NFC MVP and has now won the award twice in each league. He is only the second player in MLB history to win his fourth MVP award. Barry Bonds Winner seven times. Until tonight, he was the only player to hold the title more than three times. Ohtani was a unanimous choice for the award for the third consecutive season, receiving all 30 first-place votes in all four wins.
This is the Dodgers slugger’s third consecutive MVP award. He won the AL version in 2023, his final season as a member of the Angels. He won championships in both of his seasons as a Dodger and won a World Series in each season. His $700 free-agent contract is already one of the most successful in league history. Next season he will have a chance to tie Bonds’ record of four consecutive MVPs. Bonds won the award every season as a Giants member from 2001-04.
Ohtani defeated Kyle Schwarber and Juan Sotothe other NFC finalists. He led the majors with 146 runs scored while slashing .282/.392/.622 in 727 games. Ohtani leads the NL in slugging percentage and OPS. He hit a career-high 55 home runs, matching Schwarber’s one-run home run as the Senior Tour leader. Ohtani’s 102 runs batted in were “only” sixth in the NL, although that’s partly because he was in the leadoff spot all but one week during the season.
While Schwarber is on par with Ohtani from a power perspective, the latter’s batting average is over .040 points higher than Ohtani’s and his OBP is over .025 points higher. He also stole 20 bases and was a more valuable baserunner. That’s before considering his accomplishments on the mound. Ohtani finally returns after a long layoff following his second career elbow surgery. He pitched 47 innings in 14 starts, posting a 2.84 ERA and 62 strikeouts. Even if Ohtani was just a DH, he would probably win the MVP, like he did in 2024. He’s also capable of playing at the top level in the rotation when healthy, which only reaffirms his status as the greatest player the game has to offer today and ever.
Award voting takes place at the end of the regular season. Ohtani hit 8 more home runs in 84 postseason games, hitting .265/.405/.691. He was just average during the 2024 Dodgers World Series run. In October of this year, things changed. Ohtani stepped up when the lights were brightest, hitting .333 with a .500 OPS in the Fall Classic. He set a postseason record with nine at-bats in a marathon Game 3 when he hit several homers after Jaybirds manager John Schneider intentionally walked him every time he entered the game in extra innings.
Ohtani’s monster performance shouldn’t take away from Schwarber’s remarkable year. He led the NL in home runs and captured the major league RBI crown with 132 runs. Schwarber hit .240/.365/.563 in 724 games while starting all 162 games for the Phillies. He hit 187 home runs during a four-year, $790,000 free-agent contract with the Phillies, and now he’ll cash in on his return to free agency. Schwarber and Ohtani are tied for second in the majors in home runs over the past four seasons, trailing only Aaron Judge. He has received MVP votes for four consecutive seasons, but this is his first time as a finalist.
Soto just finished the first season of his massive free-agent contract with the Mets. It was a disappointing year for the team, which collapsed in September and lost to 83-win Cincinnati. Soto received some criticism early after a slow start, but he’s been a monster since June. He finished the year with a .263/.396/.525 slash in 715 plate appearances. Soto led the league in at-bats with 127 and ranked in the National League in on-base percentage. That’s to be expected from the game’s most discerning hitter. Even more surprising is that he tied for the NL lead with 57 steals and 38 stolen bases in his first six and a half seasons entering the season.
FanGraphs ranks Ohtani among the best in the country in pitching and hitting at 9.4 wins above replacement. Baseball Reference ranks him second with 7.7 WAR, narrowly behind Cy Young runner-up Christopher Sanchez Eight wars. BRef actually has Diamondbacks shortstop Gerardo Perdomo Only as the WAR leader among position players; Perdomo ranks second in fWAR behind Ohtani.
Schwarber received 23 of 30 second-place votes. Four voters placed Soto in second place, while three others placed Perdomo in second place. These three finalists were the only ones to finish in the top five in all 30 votes cast. Trey Turner, Pete Alonso and freddie freeman All received one third-place vote, with the remainder split between Schwarber, Soto and Perdomo. Perdomo finished fourth and Turner finished fifth. cy young winner Paul Skenes Ranked sixth and the best pitcher on the ballot. Corbin Carroll, Fernando Tatis Jr., Pete Crow-Armstrong and Francisco Lindor Enter the top ten. Twenty-three contestants received at least one vote.
Photos provided by Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images. A complete breakdown of voting is available through BBWAA.
