Watch Shohei Ohtani’s moving MVP acceptance speech in English

Los Angeles Dodgers a two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was officially honored Saturday night at the 101st annual Baseball Writers Association of America (BBVAA) New York City Awards, where he accepted his final National League Most Valuable Player award and presented honest speaking in English lasting two minutes. The event was held at the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan and was broadcast exclusively on the Foul Territory YouTube channel for the second year in a row.

During the ceremony, the 31-year-old thanked the BBVAA, the writers who voted for him and the Dodgers organization.

“This MVP award is very meaningful, and winning it again means a lot to me,” Ohtani said.

He also acknowledged the Dodgers’ ownership, front office, teammates, coaching staff, his agent, CAA and his family, especially his wife, daughter and Decoy. The appearance was Ohtani’s first at the event since joining the Dodgers, having been unable to attend the 2024 BBVAA gala due to wildfires in Southern California.

Shohei Ohtani just gave a 2-minute speech in English after accepting the NL MVP award at the BBVA Award show.

Ohtani thanked his Dodgers teammates, coaching staff and explained in detail what this award means to him.

That’s our superstar 🥲
pic.twitter.com/hNdZVCf2ES

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) January 25, 2026

In his second year with the Dodgers, Ohtani was unanimously voted National League MVPfourth career MVP award. He previously won two American League MVPs with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023, followed by back-to-back NL MVPs in 2024 and 2025. All four of Ohtani’s MVP awards are unanimous, making him the only player in MLB history to achieve the title. He is also only the second player ever to win at least four MVPs, joining the legendary Barry Bonds, who won seven.

In 2025, Ohtani posted a .282 batting average with a .392 slugging percentage and a .622 slugging percentage, along with 25 doubles, 55 home runs, 102 RBI and 172 weighted runs created plus (vRC+). The 55-homer season set a new high for the Dodgersbreaking the previous record of 54 from last year. He also returned to pitching last season, finishing 1–1 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.04 VHIP in 14 starts.

Ohtani has now won a championship in each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers, becoming the only athlete in the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL to win both the MVP and a championship in each of his first two years with the team. He was also named the 2025 NL Championship Series MVP and helped the Dodgers secure back-to-back World Series titles.

Heading into the 2026 season, MLB Network ranked Ohtani the No. 1 overall prospect for the second year in a row, ahead of Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. With four MVPs, multiple championships and record-breaking production to his credit, Ohtani’s appearance at the BBVAA gala represented another milestone in a career defined by unprecedented accomplishments.