Shohei Ohtani Wins Fourth Unanimous MVP Award, Second Only to Barry Bonds
Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star Shohei Ohtani has secured his fourth unanimous MVP award, becoming the second player in MLB history to achieve this feat, trailing only Barry Bonds' seven MVP titles.
Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been unanimously named the National League Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season, marking his fourth MVP award and third consecutive win. This achievement places him second only to Barry Bonds, who holds the record with seven MVP titles.
Ohtani's 2025 season was remarkable both offensively and defensively. He led the National League with 55 home runs, 146 runs scored, and a 1.014 OPS. Additionally, he returned to pitching after recovering from elbow surgery, recording a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts over 47 innings in 14 starts.
His performance was instrumental in leading the Dodgers to their second consecutive World Series title. In Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and hit three home runs. In Game 3 of the World Series, he reached base all nine times he came to bat, including four intentional walks.
Ohtani expressed his gratitude, stating, "The biggest thing obviously is being able to win the World Series. That's first and foremost. It's icing on the cake just to be able to get an individual award, being crowned MVP. But I'm just thankful for the support from all my teammates, everybody around me, my support staff."
At 31, Ohtani has now won MVP awards in four of the last five seasons, all unanimously. He is the first player to win multiple MVPs in both the American and National Leagues, having previously secured the American League MVP with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023.
In the American League, New York Yankees' Aaron Judge won his third MVP award, edging out Seattle's Cal Raleigh in a close vote. Judge led the majors with a .331 batting average, 1.144 OPS, and 53 home runs.
Ohtani's historic season continues to solidify his status as one of baseball's all-time greats, with fans and analysts alike marveling at his unprecedented two-way prowess.
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Los Angeles TimesFact-checking
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