Another year, another unanimous MVP award for Shohei Ohtani. Baseball’s unicorn added another major accolade to his already crowded mantel, winning his fourth MVP award Thursday. Ohtani continues his reign as the best player on the planet with the latest MVP honors, but this one puts him in a different conversation.
Barry Bonds has always stood alone when it comes to MVPs. MLB’s all-time home run leader holds the record with seven MVP trophies and was the only player in history with more than three. Those days are no more as Ohtani notched his fourth, and is well on his way to doing what many believed impossible — catching Bonds.
When Bonds was in his prime, it was a challenge to pry the award away from him. And as the feared slugger was hitting well over. 300 every season with over 40 homers, stolen bases and Gold Glove defense, you could see why. But unlike Bonds, Ohtani has a skill set that makes him one of a kind, and makes his quest to catch Bonds’ seven MVPs more probable than any player in history. Not only is he one of the two most feared hitters in baseball, he’s also an ace on the mound, giving him a huge edge over other MVP candidates every season.
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This past season, the Dodgers’ $700 million man hit .282 with a career-high 55 home runs and an NL-leading 1.014 OPS. An offensive season like that would usually launch a player into being a frontrunner for MVP, but it’s only half the résumé for Ohtani. He made his much-anticipated return to the mound in 2025 after his second UCL surgery and showed that he’s not only one of the game’s best hitters, but one of its best pitchers too.
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Ohtani returned to the mound, going 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts. While many of his outings were abbreviated as L.A. worked him back into its rotation, it didn’t take long for him to look like an ace again and become another weapon on the team’s starting staff.
Now that Ohtani is well over a year removed from elbow surgery and has a full offseason without rehab to prepare for 2026, it’s not foolish to think he could hit another level as a pitcher over a full season.
Let’s be very clear: When Ohtani has a normal year for him, he will win MVP.
The one thing you’d worry about that could prevent Ohtani from catching Bonds outside of injury would be fatigue. But the BBWAA writers who vote haven’t let Ohtani’s greatness work against him. Not only did he receive all 30 first-place votes in this year‘s NL MVP balloting, he’s won unanimously all four times he’s taken home the award.
Ohtani, the AL MVP winner in 2023, is the first to win three consecutive MVPs since Bonds won four straight with the San Francisco Giants from 2001-04. The Dodgers’ superstar is also the first back-to-back winner in the National League since Albert Pujols did it in 2008-09 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
For some time now, Ohtani has been firmly entrenched as the world’s best player and after another remarkable season, the Dodgers’ two-way superstar is adding to an already mind-blowing legacy. In two years since signing his 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, Ohtani has won two league MVPs and two World Series championships. The five-time All-Star also has three Silver Slugger Awards and the 2018 AL Rookie of the year on his résumé with plenty of hardware before he hangs it up.
When it’s all said and done, Ohtani may not only be the best player ever, but also one of the most decorated.
Ohtani’s excellence shouldn’t be taken for granted. When he came to the States from Japan, many believed his two-way ability was a gimmick that wouldn’t last. Now sitting on four MVPs and finally winning championships, Ohtani is better than anybody could have ever envisioned or imagined.
As Ohtani enters his prime already more than halfway to Bonds’ seven MVPs, the chase is not only on, but well within reach.
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