<figure id="attachment_3209244" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3209244" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3209244" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/3d338380-shohei-ohtani.jpg" alt="Shohei Ohtani" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3209244" class="wp-caption-text">Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani speaks during the team’s 2025 World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
TOKYO: Japanese baseball fans hailed Shohei Ohtani&#8217;s fourth unanimous MVP Award on Friday, calling the Los Angeles Dodgers star a source of national pride and welcome good news amid the economic gloom.
&#8220;Despite going through a difficult period after getting married and having a child, he managed to give his all and achieve such results,&#8221; Yukihiro Kosaka, 54, said in front of a train station in central Tokyo.
Ohtani, 31, was named American League MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels and led the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series championships in his second season with the club.
&#8220;I think it is really a monumental achievement. I feel very proud,&#8221; said Yukiko Yamashita, 38, a longtime Ohtani supporter.
Takaaki Ichikawa, 46, said Ohtani&#8217;s achievements made the whole country proud.
&#8220;It&#8217;s truly a pride for the Japanese people,&#8221; said the civil servant, who learned of the news after receiving a special edition newspaper.
&#8220;In the current economic stagnation, it is wonderful to hear such positive news, and it encourages me to keep working hard.&#8221;
University student Yoshino Inoue hoped Ohtani could be the MVP of both the World Baseball Classic and MLB next year.
&#8220;This season kicked off with the opening game in Japan,&#8221; said Inoue.
&#8220;I watched that game and saw his first home run here, which was really great. And when the season wrapped up, he ended up winning MVP again. I think that just shows how great of a player Ohtani is.&#8221;
The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a thrilling seven-game series to win their second straight championship and third in six seasons, cementing themselves as a modern-day dynasty.
&#8220;It was a great year,&#8221; Ohtani said on MLB Network via a translator.
&#8220;I&#8217;m grateful to my teammates, the coaching staff&#8230; but not only them. The fans were the ones who really rooted us on and supported us.&#8221;

MatchPoint Times

Ohtani the pride of Japan after winning fourth MVP award

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