Shohei Ohtani secured his fourth career MVP award, his second consecutive with the Dodgers, becoming the only player to win unanimously more than once. Aaron Judge claimed his third AL MVP, joining Yankees greats, in a tight race against Cal Raleigh.
Shohei Ohtani, the two-way Japanese superstar, earned his fourth career Most Valuable Player award, his second consecutive with the Los Angeles Dodgers, unanimously winning the National League honor. He is now the second player to achieve four MVPs, trailing only Barry Bonds, and the sole player to win unanimously multiple times. Ohtani, 31, emphasized his desire for World Series victories over individual accolades, stating that personal performance contributes to team success. In the American League, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees secured his third MVP award, joining iconic Yankees like Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle. Judge's win was a close contest, receiving 17 first-place votes to Seattle's Cal Raleigh's 13. Judge, 33, led the majors with a .331 batting average, a 1.144 OPS, and 53 home runs. Ohtani has now won an MVP for the third straight year, becoming the first player to win in each league twice. His impressive season included a .282 batting average, an NL-leading 1.014 OPS, 55 homers, 102 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. He also returned to pitching in June after an elbow injury, striking out 62 batters over 47 innings, and delivered a historic postseason performance with three homers and 10 strikeouts in an NLCS sweep. Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies finished second in the NL MVP voting, while Juan Soto of the Mets was third. Cal Raleigh, with 60 homers, the most for a catcher, finished second in the AL, and José Ramírez of Cleveland was third.
