Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani may not be everyone's Athlete of the Year pick, but he's got a pretty good handle on both sides of the Pacific thanks to baseball's first 50/50 season and his first crown of World Series.
The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He is only behind four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
“I feel very honored,” Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. 'Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year I will receive the award again.”
French swimmer Léon Marchand, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, came second with 10 votes in the vote announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine.
Surprisingly, the two-way star has yet to pitch for the Dodgers since signing his club-record $700 million contract ahead of the 2024 season. However, after rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow, it is believed that Ohtani will return to the mound, where he finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting in 2022, when he was with the hometown Angels.
In voting by 74 AP sportswriters and their members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Angels.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has now won the AP honor three times
Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold, was third
“Growing up in Japan, I followed Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods,” he said. “I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States.”
The AP honor has been awarded since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson has won six times, the most for a man or woman.
The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday.
In moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player award and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship, and created the club 50/50 Major League Baseball hitting. 54 home runs and stole 59 bases.
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he further embellished his reputation despite not pitching all season while rehabbing from a second major surgery in the right elbow he had. in September 2023.
Ohtani went crazy on offense, making every at-bat a can't-miss moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter hit a career-high .310 and easily surpassed his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases.
In September it reached the never-before-seen mark of 50/50 in an all-ages performance. Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases.
“I wouldn't be surprised if he was 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now,” Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani's second season in Anaheim, said recently. “This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there is no close second.”
Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most home runs in a season was 49. Their previous best was 46, set in 2021.
“I kind of wanted to surpass that bar,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised to be able to beat that record.”
Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, Sept. 19.
Ohtani led the Dodgers on offense during the regular season and remained healthy until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his left shoulder trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and ended the Series playing hurt.
He had surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November.
“I still don't have full range of motion, but I feel a lot better,” he told the AP. 'There is no pain. Obviously there's still a bit of tension, but it's slowly getting better.'
Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule and is focused on the short term.
“I think small steps are very important to reach the ultimate goal, which is to regain health,” he said.
Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason.
“I'm going to continue to increase little by little,” he said.
The Dodgers' rotation for next season is changing and Ohtani is waiting to see how it evolves.
“We can go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (play), which is what we did a lot of this season, or we can have a six-man rotation,” he said. 'But it's about balancing when we can rest and recover. We'll see where that takes us in the playoff hunt. Obviously I have to pace myself, but again that situation will guide us on how to get there.”
The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where Ohtani is being watched even more closely.
“My personal goal is to be completely healthy when the first games start,” he said. “It would be great to be able to pitch and hit, but the situation will take care of itself.”
Every time Ohtani steps up to the plate or takes the mound, there is great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats.
“I just go out there and try to stay within myself,” he said. 'I can only control what I can control and that's where you trust your teammates. You trust the guys behind me to make the plays for you. I don't really try to think about it too much.'
French swimmer Léon Marchand, who won four gold medals, came second with 10 votes.
Ohtani also generated a lot of money for the Dodgers off the field.
Fans traveled in droves from Japan to see him play in the U.S. at Dodger Stadium, paying extra for tours of baseball's third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during batting practice. prior to the game. Most fans bought Ohtani brand merchandise, especially his number 17 jersey.
Ohtani's presence also helped the Dodgers gain a bevy of new Japanese sponsors.
Since Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he's shrouded in a bit of mystique. When asked before his first postgame series if he was nervous, he responded with one English word: “Nope,” prompting laughter.
Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts watched Ohtani's behind-the-scenes interactions with teammates, coaches and staff and was impressed.
“I truly believe that as good a player as he is, he's a much better person.” “He's very kind, thoughtful and caring,” Roberts told the AP. “I'm proud of any fame, glory or award he receives because he does it in such a respectful and humble way.”
Ohtani enjoys his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That's why his announcement in February via Instagram that he had married Mamiko Tanaka, a former basketball player, surprised his new teammates and the rest of the world.
The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he became embroiled in scandal when his interpreter and longtime friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani's money to place bets. with an illegal betting house.
His new teammates supported Ohtani, who had no involvement in the crime, and publicly it didn't seem to phase him, even if he was privately distraught about it.
Ohtani (17) is honored for being the first MLB player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season during the first inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies.
By June, the uproar had died down. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal charges of bank and tax fraud and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani.
The public got a glimpse of Ohtani's softer side in August, when his dog Decoy made the first pitch to his owner on the night they shared with the dolls. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high five with Ohtani at the plate.
As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, and his race (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) made the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the broadcast of the National Dog from last month. Show, where the small breed Spaniel type was among the competitors.
“The numbers of the breed have decreased, so if you gain a little bit of popularity, hopefully the numbers of your breed will increase,” Ohtani said. “I feel like we were able to contribute, in some way, to the popularity of the dog and I'm sure Decoy himself would be happy about that.”
Ohtani will look to better himself next year as he looks to repeat the World Series title.
“It's almost like you can now lock down the National League Most Valuable Player award because no one has that skill or talent,” Roberts said.
“I'm excited to see what the 25th has in store for Shohei Ohtani.”