Shohei Ohtani Wins 4th MVP, “Redefining Greatness” as He Surges Past Legends; Only Barry Bonds Remains.vc
The Dodgers’ two-way superstar smashed 55 home runs and rekindled his dominant pitching form, forcing the baseball world to ask: Will anyone ever catch the most extraordinary talent of this generation?
LAS VEGAS — The baseball world has run out of superlatives. The impossible has become the routine. On Thursday night, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was named the 2025 National League Most Valuable Player, capping a season that “redefined greatness” and further cemented his place in the pantheon of baseball immortals.
The award, Ohtani’s fourth career MVP in just five years, was unanimous—the fourth unanimous MVP win of his career. No other player in baseball history has more than one.
The 2025 season “elevated the MVP conversation to uncharted heights.” After winning the 2024 NL MVP as a full-time designated hitter, Ohtani returned to the mound and “rekindled his dominant pitching form,” all while producing one of the greatest offensive seasons in franchise history.
With this fourth award, the 31-year-old Ohtani has “surged past legends,” breaking the tie of three-time winners he shared with players like Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Mickey Mantle. In the 154-year history of Major League Baseball, only Barry Bonds (7) has won more MVP awards.
A Season That “Redefined Greatness”
Ohtani’s 2025 season was a statistical marvel that quieted any remaining debate about his place as the most “extraordinary talent of this generation.”
- At the Plate: He set a new Dodgers franchise record by smashing 55 home runs. He led the National League with a 1.014 OPS and 146 runs scored, adding 102 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
- On the Mound: After missing 2024 as a pitcher, Ohtani returned from elbow surgery in June. In 14 closely monitored starts, he was dominant, posting a 2.87 ERA and striking out 62 batters in 47 innings.
This two-way dominance was put on full display in the postseason, where Ohtani led the Dodgers to their second consecutive World Series title. His historic NLCS performance, where he hit three home runs while striking out 10 batters in a single game, became an instant legend.
Chasing History: Can He Catch Bonds?
The MVP conversation is no longer about if Ohtani is the best player in the game, but rather where he will stand when his career is over.
He is the first player in history to win MVP awards in both leagues twice (AL in 2021/2023, NL in 2024/2025). He is also the first player to win three consecutive MVPs since Bonds did it from 2001-2004.
While Ohtani and his interpreter humbly accepted the award, the “entire baseball world” is left to ask the question that once seemed impossible: At 31 years old and at the peak of his powers, can he catch the one man still ahead of him?
