LOS ANGELES—Shohei Ohtani surrounds himself with the elite.
The Japanese superstar capped off 2024 by winning the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year Award for the third time, joining basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time champion Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
“I’m very honored,” Ohtani told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview through translator Matt Hidaka. “Obviously all the hard work paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll win this award again.”
Ohtani received 48 points in a poll of 74 sportswriters from The Associated Press and its affiliates. He previously won the award with the Angels in 2023 and 2021.
“Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods,” he said. “I get to see the accolades they get and how they succeed in America.”
The AP Honor has been awarded since 1931.
French swimmer Léon Marchand, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, came in second with 10 votes in a vote announced on Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose wins this year include Masters and Olympic gold medals, is third with nine.
The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday.
Transferred from the struggling Los Angeles Angels to the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and the National League’s first, leading his new team to the An eight-time World Series champion, he set the MLB 50/50 club record with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. He didn’t pitch all season, but his reputation further grew.
Ohtani was running wild offensively, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter posted a career-high .310 batting average while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases.
In September, he hit the unheard-of 50/50 mark in an unprecedented performance. In Florida State’s game against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani went 6-for-6 with three home runs, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases, and 17 total bases.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now,” said Brad Ausim of the Angels in 2019, Ohtani’s second season in Anaheim. Brad Ausmus said recently. “This man is the greatest athlete in the game of baseball, and there is no close second.”
Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers’ franchise record for most home runs in a season was 49.
“I kind of want to overcome this obstacle,” he said. “I’m surprised I was able to break this record.”
Ohtani led the Dodgers offense during the regular season and remained healthy until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his left shoulder while stealing second base against the New York Yankees and ended the series with the injury.
He underwent surgery in early November, just days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship.
“I don’t have full range of motion yet, but I feel better,” he told The Associated Press. “No pain. There’s obviously still a little tightness, but it’s getting better slowly but surely.”
Ohtani recently received an updated recovery plan, and he’s focused on the near future.
“I think these small steps are really important in getting me to my ultimate goal, which is getting healthy,” he said.
Ohtani also has a pitch velocity of 70 mph, which is typical for a pitcher early in the offseason.
“I’m going to continue to increase slowly,” he said.
The Dodgers’ rotation is in flux next season, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it changes.
“We’re probably going to have a five-man rotation in the bullpen. [game]that’s something we’ve done a lot of this season, or we might have a six-man rotation,” he said. “But it’s all about maintaining balance when we’re able to rest and recover. We’ll see where that takes us in our playoff chase. Obviously I have to pace myself, but again the situation will guide us. How to get there.
The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where Ohtani is being watched even more closely.
“My personal goal is to be fully healthy for the opening game,” he said. “It’s great to be able to pitch and hit, but situations will take care of themselves.”
Every time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there’s tremendous pressure and expectations placed on him to perform.
“I just go out there and try to be myself,” he said. “I can only control what I can control, and that’s where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust them to play for you. I really don’t want to think too much about it.”
Ohtani also brings in big money for the Dodgers off the field.
Fans come in droves from Japan to watch him play at Dodger Stadium across the U.S., paying extra to tour baseball’s third-oldest venue with a Japanese-speaking guide and take pre-game batting practice visited the scene in person. Most fans purchased Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey.
Ohtani’s presence also helped the Dodgers gain a new group of Japanese sponsors.
Ohtani is shrouded in a bit of mystery as he prefers to speak Japanese and use a translator when communicating with the media. Asked before his first postgame series if he was nervous, he responded simply in English: “No,” to laughter.
Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani’s behind-the-scenes interactions with teammates, coaches and staff and was impressed.
“I do believe that as good a player as he is, he’s an even better person. He’s very kind, thoughtful, caring,” Roberts told The Associated Press. “I’m proud of any fame, honor or award he received because he did it in a respectful and humble way.”
Ohtani likes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the court. That’s why he shocked his new teammates and the world when he announced his marriage to former basketball player Mamiko Tanaka via Instagram in February.
The next month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was mired in scandal when his longtime translator and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers over allegations he used millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money for betting.
His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found not to be involved in the inappropriate behavior, and publicly it didn’t seem to affect him, even if he was privately bitter about it.
By June, the unrest had subsided. Suwon pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani.
In August, the public got a glimpse of Ohtani’s softer side when his dog Decoy pitched to his owner for the first time during their shared bobblehead night. Kooikerhondje of the Netherlands gave Ohtani a lovely high-five during the set.
As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his variety (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words in 2024. In his and Ohtani shows, the small spaniel type breed was one of the contenders.
“The breed’s numbers have declined, so hopefully by gaining a little bit of popularity through him, he can increase the numbers of his breed,” Ohtani said. “I do feel like we can contribute in a small way to the popularity of this dog. Contribution, I’m sure Bait himself will be happy with it.”
Ohtani hopes to surpass himself next year while also hoping to win another World Series title.
“It’s almost like now you can lock up the National League MVP award because no one has the ability or the talent,” Roberts said.
“I’m excited to see what 25 years has brought to Shohei Ohtani.”
