Shohei Ohtani wins 2024 NL MVP unanimously after historic season

For the first time since 2019, a Dodger has claimed the National League MVP Award. To what should be no one’s surprise, it’s Shohei Ohtani, who received all 30 first-place votes. Francisco Lindor finished second, while Ketel Marte finished third.

Ohtani becomes the first primary designated hitter to win an MVP award. Don Baylor won the 1979 American League MVP Award by appearing as the Angels’ DH in 40% of their games. The highest a primary DH has finished in the MVP voting was Frank Thomas in 2000. He appeared in 30 games (2886 innings) at first base for the White Sox and finished second to the Athletics’ Jason Giambi in voting (317 285; 14 first-place votes to 10). Paul Molitor was in similar situation against, coincidentally, Thomas in 1993. Molitor appeared in 23 games (206 innings) at first base for the Blue Jays while finishing in second place to Thomas, who was a unanimous selection. David Ortiz in 2005 and Victor Martinez in 2014 were the only other primary DHs to finish second in voting. Ortiz lost to Alex Rodriguez (331-307, 16 first-place votes to 11), while Martinez lost to Mike Trout (unanimous winner) in 2014.

This is Ohtani’s third MVP award. He’s the 11th player in MLB history to win at least three MVP awards, and the second to do it in both leagues, with Frank Robinson being the other. He won in 2021 and 2023 as a DH and pitcher. Next year, he’ll have a chance to repeat that feat with the Dodgers. He won this year on the strength MLB’s first-ever 50/50 season that saw him hit 54 home runs and steal 59 bases, not to mention a batting line of .310/.390/.646 with a 181 wRC+. While some will, falsely, claim a DH (or pitcher, for that matter) shouldn’t win the MVP, but Ohtani was more than deserving.

Here’s a list of Dodger MVP award winners in franchise history:

• Jake Daubert, 1913
• Dazzy Vance, 1924
• Dolph Camilli, 1941
• Jackie Robinson, 1949
• Roy Campanella, 1951, ’53, ’55
• Don Newcombe, 1956
• Maury Wills, 1962
• Sandy Koufax, 1963
• Steve Garvey, 1974
• Kirk Gibson, 1988
• Clayton Kershaw, 2014
• Cody Bellinger, 2019

And now, the greatest baseball player to ever live joins the list.

We’ll see if the shoulder injury he suffered in the World Series has any negative impact on his power, but it’d be surprising if we ever see a season like this from Ohtani (or anyone, really) again, unless he doesn’t pitch. The thing is, he’s going to be even more valuable if his offense takes a small step back while adding top-of-the-rotation results.

It’s a good time to be a Dodger fan.

Shohei Ohtani has three unanimous MVP awards in the last four years.

No other player in MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL history has more than one in his entire career. pic.twitter.com/4n4vPIwvfD

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) November 21, 2024