The coronation was nothing new.
The narrative that got here with it, nevertheless, mirrored simply how a lot has modified in a single yr.
For the third time in his adorned Main League Baseball profession, Shohei Ohtani gained most precious participant award honors on Thursday, claiming the Nationwide League’s prime particular person accoladeby a unanimous vote from 30 members of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America.
Whereas no designated hitter had ever earlier than gained an MVP, Ohtani’s award was not a shock. In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani led the NL in residence runs (54), RBIs (130) and OPS (1.036). He was second in batting common (.310). And with 59 steals, he grew to become the primary participant in MLB historical past with a 50-homer, 50-steal season.
Not like his earlier two MVP awards in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels, the two-way star didn’t pitch throughout the 2024 season, restricted to hitting duties after a Tommy John revision surgical procedure the prior yr.
“The fact that I knew I wasn’t going to be able to pitch this season,” Ohtani stated by means of an interpreter, “just made me focus more on my offensive game.”
However, additionally in contrast to his previous two MVP wins, the tenor of Thursday’s announcement that Ohtani had gained MVP was modified as properly.
There have been no looming questions on free company. No lingering doubts about his lack of postseason expertise.
Just one final victorious look to bookend a celebratory season for the most recent Dodgers star.
“I’m representing the team, winning this award,” Ohtani stated on MLB Community, after teammate Clayton Kershaw delivered the announcement.
“I obviously don’t go into the season trying to strive to get the MVP award,” Ohtani added. “I was more focused on being one of the guys with a new team, with the Dodgers. I wanted to embrace the fans, as well, and just let them learn who I was. That was my main focus heading into the season.”
When Ohtani gained his 2023 MVP this time final yr, the announcement was surrounded by thick offseason hypothesis.
Ohtani was early in his course of as a marquee free agent. He had but to begin assembly with potential golf equipment attempting to signal him. His future was hanging within the stability.
As a substitute of dealing with whole offseason uncertainty like he did final yr, Ohtani on Thursday was looking forward to his return to the mound with the Dodgers in 2025, when he’s anticipated to renew two-way duties as a member of their rotation.
Precisely when Ohtani will retake the mound is unclear. He ended the season needing to verify a couple of extra containers in his restoration from elbow surgical procedure, together with dealing with hitters once more in stay batting follow periods. A labrum surgical procedure on his non-throwing left shoulder earlier this month — ensuing from the dislocated shoulder Ohtani suffered within the World Sequence — will even seemingly push again his pitching timeline, leaving his probabilities of beginning throughout the Dodgers’ season-opening journey to his residence nation of Japan seemingly slim.
“The goal is to be ready for opening day, and that includes hitting and pitching,” Ohtani stated. “But we are taking our time, obviously … I think we are going to take a little bit more time and be conservative and we’re going to make sure I’m healthy before I step back on the mound.”
It’s additionally unknown how strictly the Dodgers will restrict Ohtani’s pitching workload in 2025, as they usually do with pitchers coming back from main arm surgical procedures.
What is obvious: Ohtani may have a number one position to play in a number of methods for the 2025 Dodgers, who’re hoping he can replicate a few of his dominant offensive kind from the previous yr whereas additionally being in place to affect what was a shorthanded pitching workers in 2024.
“Right now my focus is to get healthy, come back stronger, get on the mound and show everybody what I can do,” Ohtani stated, after laughing off a query about whether or not he hopes so as to add a Cy Younger Award to his trophy case in 2025.
It was all a far cry from the place Ohtani was final yr, as he launched into a free-agent course of that resulted in a record-breaking $700-million contract with the Dodgers.
In hindsight, it’s a choice that labored out for each events.
En path to serving to the Dodgers win the World Sequence — their second since 2020 and first in a full season since 1988 — Ohtani pulled away from all different NL MVP contenders, together with New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (who completed second) and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (who completed third).
It made Ohtani the twelfth participant in MLB historical past with three or extra MVP awards (of that group, solely seven-time winner Barry Bonds ever gained a fourth). It made him the second participant in majors historical past to win each an AL and NL MVP, becoming a member of Frank Robinson’s honors in 1961 (with Cincinnati) and 1966 (with Baltimore). And it marked the thirteenth time in Dodgers historical past certainly one of their gamers gained an MVP. Cody Bellinger was the final to take action in 2019.
The Dodgers’ hope is that extra MVPs — and World Sequence titles — are in Ohtani’s future, as he enters the second yr of his 10-year cope with the membership.
Aside from his pitching rehab, in spite of everything, the shortage of uncertainties surrounding Ohtani on Thursday mirrored simply how rapidly he has settled with the Dodgers.
It wasn’t his first time profitable the consideration. But it surely solely added to what has been essentially the most triumphant season of his MLB profession but.
“The next goal,” Ohtani stated, “is for me to do it again.”
