Dodgers' Ohtani unanimous winner of fourth MVP in five years - ESPN

Shohei Ohtani was named National League MVP on Thursday, capturing all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in the wake of another dynamic offensive season that included a successful return to pitching and was once again capped by a championship.

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber earned 23 of the second-place votes from the BBWAA, with New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (four) and Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (three) accruing the rest. Ohtani has won four MVPs over the past five years, all of them in unanimous fashion. Only Barry Bonds has more with seven.

«It's definitely special,» Ohtani, speaking through an interpreter, said on a conference call. «It makes it special because it was unanimous, and I would like to thank all the writers for voting for me.»

The top five vote-getters for the National League Most Valuable Player Award in balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ohtani, 31, had already joined Hall of Famer Frank Robinson as the only players to win MVP in both leagues and the only player among the four major American professional sports with more than one unanimous MVP. Now he is the first player in MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL history to win both an MVP and a championship in each of his first two seasons with a team, according to ESPN Research.

Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million contract in December 2023, then went on to charter the 50/50 club and starred as the team's leadoff hitter during its march toward a World Series title in 2024, ultimately becoming the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP.

In 2025, Ohtani was just as impactful offensively, slashing