Shohei Ohtani wins 3rd Associated Press male athlete of year award

Shohei Ohtani is keeping elite company.

The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press antheral jock of the twelvemonth for the 3rd time, tying him with hoops large Michael Jordan. He trails lone four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.

"I'm precise honoured," Ohtani said done translator Matt Hidaka successful an exclusive interrogation with the AP. "Obviously each the hard enactment has paid off. Maybe adjacent year, I'll get the grant again."

In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He antecedently won the grant successful 2021 and 2023, erstwhile helium was with the Angels.

"Growing up successful Japan, I did travel Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods," helium said. "I would spot their accolades and however they were palmy successful the United States."

The AP honour has been fixed retired since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the astir by a antheral oregon woman.

Swimmer Leon Marchand of France, who won 4 golden medals astatine the Paris Olympics, was 2nd with 10 votes successful balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this twelvemonth included the Masters and an Olympic golden medal, was 3rd with nine.

WATCH | Ohtani 1st successful MLB past to spell 50-50:

The AP pistillate jock of the twelvemonth volition beryllium announced Tuesday.

Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his 3rd astir invaluable subordinate grant and archetypal successful the National League, led his caller squad to its eighth World Series title and created Major League Baseball's 50/50 nine by hitting 54 location runs and stealing 59 bases.

Ohtani signed a then-record $700 cardinal US, 10-year declaration with the Dodgers successful December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, helium embellished his estimation adjacent further contempt not pitching each play portion helium rehabilitated from a 2nd large close elbow country helium had successful September 2023.

Career highs successful batting average, homers, SBs

Ohtani went chaotic connected offence, making each at-bat a must-see moment. The six-foot-four designated hitter batted a career-high .310 portion easy surpassing his erstwhile vocation highs successful location runs and stolen bases.

In September, helium reached the antecedently unheard of 50/50 people successful a show for the ages. Against the Miami Marlins successful Florida, Ohtani went 6-for-6 with 3 homers, 10 runs bated in, 2 stolen bases and 17 full bases.

"It wouldn't daze maine if helium went 60/60 and 20 wins a twelvemonth from now," Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels successful 2019 during Ohtani's 2nd play successful Anaheim, said recently. "This feline is the top jock to ever play the athletics of shot and there's not a adjacent second."

Ohtani said helium knew the Dodgers' franchise grounds for astir homers successful a play was 49. His erstwhile champion was 46, acceptable successful 2021.

"I benignant of wanted to get implicit that bar," helium said. "I was pleasantly amazed I was capable to walk that record."

Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and helium stayed steadfast until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his near enarthrosis trying to bargain 2nd basal against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt.

He underwent country a fewer days aft the Dodgers celebrated their title successful aboriginal November.

"I don't person afloat scope of question yet, but it feels a batch better," helium told the AP. "There's nary pain. There's evidently inactive a small spot of tightness, but dilatory but surely it's getting better."

Ohtani precocious received an updated rehab schedule, and he's focused connected the near-term.

"It's the tiny steps that I deliberation are precise important to get maine to the eventual goal, which is to conscionable get backmost healthy," helium said.

Dodgers' rotation successful flux

Ohtani is besides throwing successful the 70 mile-per-hour range, which is emblematic for pitchers aboriginal successful the offseason.

"I'm going to proceed to ramp up slowly," helium said.

The Dodgers' rotation for adjacent play is successful flux, and Ohtani is waiting to spot however it shakes out.

"We whitethorn spell with a five-man rotation with a bullpen [game], which is what we did a batch during this play oregon we whitethorn person a six-man rotation," helium said. "But it's each astir balancing retired erstwhile we tin get remainder and recuperate. We'll spot wherever that takes america on the playoff chase. I've got to evidently gait myself, but again that concern volition usher america to however we get there."

The Dodgers unfastened the 2025 play successful Japan, wherever Ohtani is adjacent much intimately watched.

"My idiosyncratic extremity is to beryllium afloat steadfast by the clip the opening games bash start," helium said. "To beryllium capable to transportation and deed would beryllium great, but the concern volition benignant of usher itself."

Each clip Ohtani comes to the sheet oregon steps connected the mound, there's large unit and anticipation for him to execute spectacular feats.

"I conscionable spell retired determination and effort to enactment wrong myself," helium said. "I tin lone power what I tin power and that's wherever you spot your teammates. The guys down me, you spot they're going to marque the plays for you. I don't truly effort to overthink it."

Ohtani generated large bucks for the Dodgers disconnected the field, too.

Fans traveled from Japan successful droves to spot him play astir the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid other for tours of baseball's third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to beryllium connected the tract during pre-game batting practice. Most of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, particularly his No. 17 jersey.

Ohtani's beingness besides helped the Dodgers onshore a bevy of caller Japanese sponsors.

Because Ohtani prefers to talk Japanese and usage an interpreter with the media, helium is shrouded successful a spot of mystique. Asked earlier his archetypal post-game bid if helium was nervous, helium dropped a one-word reply successful English: "Nope," which drew laughter.

'Much amended person' than player

Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani's behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came distant impressed.

"I truly bash judge that arsenic bully of a shot subordinate arsenic helium is, he's a overmuch amended person. He's precise kind, considerate, helium cares," Roberts told the AP. "I'm conscionable arrogant of immoderate fame oregon glory oregon grant that helium receives due to the fact that helium conscionable does it successful specified a respectful and humble way."

Ohtani relishes his privateness and seldom shares details astir himself disconnected the field. That's wherefore his February announcement via Instagram that helium had wed Mamiko Tanaka, a erstwhile hoops player, stunned his caller teammates and the remainder of the world.

The pursuing month, aft the Dodgers arrived successful South Korea to unfastened the season, helium was enveloped successful ungraded erstwhile his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers aft being accused of utilizing millions of dollars of Ohtani's wealth to spot bets with an amerciable bookmaker.

His caller teammates rallied astir Ohtani, who was recovered to person nary portion successful the wrongdoing, and publically it didn't look to impact him adjacent if helium was privately distressed by it.

By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded blameworthy to national slope and taxation fraud charges and admitted to stealing astir $17 cardinal from Ohtani.

The nationalist got a glimpse of Ohtani's softer broadside successful August, erstwhile his canine Decoy delivered a archetypal transportation to his proprietor connected their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani astatine the plate.

As a result, Decoy became a personage successful his ain right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the database of the astir mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of past month's National Dog Show, wherever the tiny Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors.

"The fig of the breed has benignant of dwindled, truthful by him gaining a small spot of popularity hopefully that brings up the fig of his breed," Ohtani said. "I bash consciousness similar we were capable to, successful a tiny way, lend to the popularity of the canine and I'm definite Decoy himself would beryllium blessed astir that."

Ohtani volition beryllium looking to apical himself adjacent twelvemonth portion eyeing a repetition World Series title.

"It's astir similar close present you tin fastener successful the astir invaluable subordinate successful the National League grant due to the fact that nary 1 has that quality oregon talent," Roberts said.

"I'm conscionable excited to spot what '25 has for Shohei Ohtani."