Shohei Ohtani wins NLCS MVP after crazy Game 4

Los Angeles Dodgers two-pointed star Shohei Ohtani he was named the most valuable player (MVP) 2025 National League Championship Series (NLCS) after putting up one of the most extraordinary performances of a game in MLB postseason history. His Game 4 heroics led Los Angeles to a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, ending a four-game sweep and sending the Dodgers back to the World Series for the second straight season.

Ohtani’s performance Friday night at Dodger Stadium was historic in every sense. On the mound, he pitched six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out 10 batters. Two of those strikeouts came over 100 mph, including one at 100.3 mph to Jackson Chury and another at 100.2 mph to Christian Yelich.

He used a seven-point mix throughout the game, keeping Milwaukee’s lineup off balance and effectively neutralizing their offense. Ohtani exited in the seventh inning to a standing ovation, having allowed just five baserunners in six-plus innings.

At the plate, the 31-year-old was just as good. He went 3-for-3 with a walk, hitting three towering home runs. His first homer came as a leadoff hit in the bottom of the first inningtraveling 446 feet with an exit velocity of 116.5 mph. The second homer, which cleared Dodger Stadium, was 469 feet with an exit velocity of 116.9 mph, making Ohtani just the second Dodger to hit the ball out of the park.

His third home run, off Brewers reliever Trevor McGill, traveled 427 feet at 113.6 mph. In doing so, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to hit multiple postseason home runs while also pitching in the same game. He also joined an elite group of 12 players to hit three homers in a single postseason contest.

In the NLCS, Ohtani went 5-for-14 (.357) with three home runs, a triple, four RBIs, four walks and one stolen base while also earning the win in Game 4. He dominated on both sides of the game after a quiet first three games of the series. Ohtani became only the second Japanese-born player to win the League Championship MVP, following Koji Uehara of the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

The Dodgers will face either the Seattle Mariners or the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series starting next Friday. The Mariners are currently 3-2 in the ALCS.