There was not a lot of mystery when the National League Most Valuable Player Award was announced Thursday night. Los Angeles Dodgers' superstar Shohei Ohtani won the MVP Award for the third consecutive season and fourth time overall. Once again it was a unanimous election.

Ohtani has been a remarkable performer in Major League Baseball since leaving Japan and coming to the United States in 2018. The last two seasons have seen him dominate for the Los Angeles Dodgers and that team has won back to back World Series titles. Prior to the 2024 season, Ohtani played for the cross-town Los Angeles Angels.

Once again, Ohtani has brilliant numbers in his role as a two-way performer. He slashed .282/.391/.622 with 55 home runs and 102 runs batted in and 109 bases on balls. He returned to the mound this season and he pitched 47.0 innings in the regular season and had a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 47.0 innings.

Dodgers fans were certainly thrilled to see Ohtani win another MVP Award, and many of their reactions alluded to the assertion that he may be the best player in the history of the sport. However, there is also quite a bit of resentment in cities outside of Los Angeles. Philadelphia Phillies fans were hoping that Kyle Schwarber would win the honor. He certainly had a great season with his 56 home runs, but his overall numbers can't compare with Ohtani.

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Dodgers have been baseball's dominant team

After winning the World Series in dominant fashion in 2024 against the Yankees, the Dodgers were pushed to the limit in the World Series by the Toronto Blue Jays.

They won the World Series in seven games, coming from behind in the decisive game to win in extra innings by a 5-4 scored in 11 innings.

Ohtani put on a show in the postseason as he belted 8 home runs in 17 playoff games while driving in 14 runs. He was 2-0 in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 2.25 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 12 innings. He also pitched in two games in the World Series.