Ohtani was named the National League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.
Ohtani won the award unanimously for the third straight season and for the fourth time overall, with two wins in both the NL and AL. Though he wasn't as active on the basepaths with 20 stolen bases after stealing 59 bags in 2024, Ohtani still hit an exceptional 55 home runs with a 1.014 OPS across 725 plate appearances. He also returned to the mound after recovering from Tommy John surgery and recorded a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes 2.1 frames in Game 7 of WS
Rotowire
Ohtani didn't factor into the decision against the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 2.1 innings. He also went 2-for-5 with a walk as a batter.
Ohtani struggled throughout his time on the mound, but he managed to get through two scoreless innings despite allowing four baserunners over that span. He wasn't able to escape in the third, however, as Bo Bichette tagged him for a three-run homer in that frame, leading to his exit. Ohtani did manage to reach base three times as a hitter, and over the seven-game series he batted .333 with three home runs, three doubles, five RBI, six runs and nine walks. As a pitcher, he was less effective, yielding seven earned runs while posting a 9:3 K:BB across 8.1 frames.
Ohtani will start Game 7 of the World Series against the Blue Jays on Saturday.
Ohtani will be pitching on short rest after making it through six innings during a loss in Game 4 on Tuesday. The 31-year-old owns a 3.50 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 25 strikeouts through 18 innings so far in the postseason and will be opposed by Max Scherzer in Saturday's winner-take-all contest.
Ohtani took the loss in Game 4 of the World Series against the Blue Jays on Tuesday after allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six batters over six-plus innings. He also went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts as a batter.
After getting through the first two innings without giving up a run, Ohtani allowed a single to Nathan Lukes in the third before serving up a home run to Vladimir Guerrero in the ensuing at-bat. The two-way superstar kept the game close for the next several innings but was pulled after allowing the first two men he faced in the seventh to reach base -- both of whom eventually came around to score. Ohtani is likely now done making starts on the mound for the Dodgers this postseason, but he will likely be available out of the bullpen for the remainder of the series and also remains one of the most dynamic bats in Los Angeles' lineup.
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