PASADENA, Calif. – Shohei Ohtani catches up with more legends.
The baseball superstar ends 2025 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the fourth time, joining Lance Armstrong, LeBron James and Tiger Woods for the most male honors.
“Receiving this award multiple times is something very special,” Ohtani said in Japanese in an exclusive interview with the AP.
Ohtani received 29 of 47 votes among AP sportswriters and its members after his two-way dominance culminated in a repeat World Series title for his Los Angeles Dodgers — along the way delivering perhaps the best individual single-game performance in sports history. He previously won the award in 2024, his first season with the Dodgers, and in 2023 and 2021, while with the Los Angeles Angels.
The AP award has been presented since 1931. Multisport standout Babe Didrikson Zaharias won six times in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, most of them by a man or a woman.
The ultra-competitive Ohtani’s latest victory broke a tie with Michael Jordan, whom he followed along with Woods while growing up in Japan.
“Last year I said I wanted to win this award again, and I will work hard so that I can win it again next year,” he said.
Swedish-American pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, who won his third consecutive world title and set the world record 14 times, including four times in 2025, came second with five votes in Tuesday’s voting. Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s best tennis player who won titles at the French and US Opens, was third with four.
The AP Sportswoman of the Year will be announced on Wednesday.
Ohtani returns to two-way supremacy
Ohtani has shown remarkable consistency since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023 on a then-record 10-year contract worth $700 million.
He won his fourth career Most Valuable Player award (second with the Dodgers) by unanimous decision, the first player in Major League history to do so.
This year he posted an OPS of 1.014 and hit 55 home runs. When he returned to the mound for the first time since 2023, he had a 2.87 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 47 innings over 14 starts.
Ohtani saved his best for the postseason.
In Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, he pitched six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and hit three home runs to earn MVP honors. He said it was his best match in a career full of incredible achievements.
“If you think about it in terms of a single game, I would say that’s probably true,” he said. “It was a crucial game in the postseason, and personally I think I played that game pretty well.”
Does he surprise himself?
“Well, there are times when I feel that way about myself, and of course there are times when I think I’m not good enough,” he said, “so I guess athletes experience both kinds of feelings.”
Another year, another championship for Ohtani and the Dodgers
Ohtani showed he’s human in Game 7 of the World Series. He singled in the first inning and then took the mound after a brief rest, but he struggled with his command. He gave up a three-run homer to Toronto’s Bo Bichette, along with five hits in 2 1/3 innings.
But he and the Dodgers lifted a second straight World Series trophy after beating the Blue Jays in the most scintillating Series in recent memory.
“Shohei obviously has the weight of the world on his shoulders as far as expectations, because he’s probably the face of baseball, especially when you talk about the world,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Game 7. “It’s just really special what he’s done. Just a great person and a great competitor.”
Ohtani’s presence has had a transformative impact on MLB’s global reach. Game 7 of this World Series averaged 13.1 million viewers in Japan, the most-watched World Series game on a single network there ever, and 51 million watched worldwide, making it the most-watched game since Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
How does Ohtani keep topping himself?
“I think the higher your goals are, the more you have to do and the more you want to do,” he said. “If you’re happy with where you are right now, I don’t think it’s possible to achieve your goals without putting in the effort. So setting high goals, I think, is the most important thing.”
The Dodgers made Ohtani return to pitching this year by gradually increasing his workload after recovering from elbow surgery in September 2023. His innings were initially capped before he was allowed to make longer starts as he felt better.
“In terms of feeling nervous, being on the mound definitely makes me more tense,” he said. “It’s a position where you can single-handedly ruin a game, and at the same time it’s also a position where you can contribute to a win. So in my mind, I feel like being a pitcher is a really special role.”
At age 31, Ohtani has undergone three major surgeries: two on his right elbow and one on his left shoulder. Despite the physical and mental wear and tear, he plans to remain a two-way player throughout his career.
“I think it’s best to keep doing this until I retire,” he says.
Ohtani plans to play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March.
“I’m not sure if I’m going to pitch yet,” he said. “I have been cleared to play in the tournament but how much and in what way, including on the batting side, that is something we will discuss.”
Winning a third consecutive World Series championship is one of Ohtani’s biggest goals in 2026.
“To stay healthy and appear in every match without injuries, that is the smallest goal I have,” he said.
An exciting year off the field too
Ohtani became a father for the first time when his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, gave birth to their daughter in April. He is careful not to reveal her name or details about his family life. No word on how his beloved dog Decoy reacted to having a new brother or sister.
Ohtani’s American fans enjoy hearing him speak English on the rare occasions he does so in public, such as during both World Series celebrations. He understands most of the language, although he uses an interpreter during interviews.
“I think it would be best if I could speak English, so even if it’s just baby steps, I want to keep working on it,” he said. “Whether it is with fans or in different situations, if we can speak English directly it can help bridge the gap between us.”
In the meantime, he continues to let his bat and arm speak volumes.
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