Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani Named Finalist For National League MVP Award

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Originally published by DodgerBlue.com

Shohei Ohtani was named a finalist for the 2024 National League Most Valuable Player award in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani, who is the runaway favorite to win the award and has a chance to win unanimously, was joined in the final three by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It is the fourth consecutive season Ohtani has finished within the top three of MVP voting for his respective league. He previously finished top-two in the American League MVP voting in his final three seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, winning in 2021 and 2023.

Just 11 players have won three MVP awards in MLB history, and Frank Robinson is the only player to win in both the AL and the NL. Ohtani should soon join him.

Ohtani hit .310/.390/.646 with 38 doubles, seven triples, 54 home runs, 134 runs scored, 130 RBI, 59 stolen bases, a 181 wRC+ and 9.1 WAR as the Dodgers’ designated hitter this season.

Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to record a 50-homer, 50-steal season. He surpassed Hideki Matsui for the most home runs ever by a Japanese-born player in the majors with his 176th career homer in April and surpassed 200 against the Detroit Tigers in June.

Ohtani led the National League in runs, homers, RBIs slugging, on-base plus slugging (1.036) and total bases (411). It was his second consecutive season with an OPS of more than 1.000.

Lindor is the presumed runner-up to Ohtani and had a case to win for parts of the season due to his defense, but an injury derailed that while Ohtani ran-away with the award to an indisputable level in September.

Lindor finished the season hitting .273/.344/.500 with 33 home runs, 107 runs scored, 91 RBI, 29 stolen bases, a 137 wRC+ and 7.8 WAR.

Marte hit .292/.372/.560 with 36 home runs, 93 runs scord, 95 RBI, seven stolen bases, a 151 wRC+ and 6.3 WAR.

Shohei Ohtani awards and honors in 2024 season

Ohtani was previously named the NL Outstanding Player of the 2024 season as voted on by the players. He also took home honors as the 2024 Sporing News MLB Player of the Year.

He also capped off his final month of the regular season by earning NL Player of the Month honors for September.

Ohtani is also a finalist for a Silver Slugger Award for the NL’s designated hitter spot and a finalist for the Hank Aaron Award.

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