Make it three in a row for the King of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani secured a second straight National League Most Valuable Player Award in his illustrious career. Overall, though, this gives The Great Shohei four MVP titles. He captured two while playing in the American League for the Los Angeles Angels.

But Ohtani's fortunes (and his bank account) have changed dramatically since starting to pitch and hit at Dodger Stadium.

In the 2025 regular season, Ohtani hit .282 with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs. He stole 20 bases and had a .622 slugging percentage. That's at the plate.

Of course, when Ohtani was not in his designated hitter's role, then he was on the mound, keeping MLB opponents on their toes at all times. But Ohtani didn't see much time as a pitcher last season. He finished with a 1-1 record in 14 appearances in 47 innings of work. Ohtani struck out 62 while walking just nine.

He made four postseason starts en route to the Dodgers repeating as World Series champions. Ohtani was 2-1 in 2025 postseason play, finishing up with a 4.43 ERA. He pitched as well as possible in postseason wins over the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers. 

What else can one say about Ohtani that hasn't already been written about? He's gone out there and played his heart out for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani never shows disgust or anger in any situations. Whether it's getting hit by a pitch or dealing with an injury, Ohtani stands out as a picture of perfectionism.

Of course, being too focused on perfectionism can come back to bite some players.

Ohtani does know, too, that expectations of him are always at a high level. He's being paid a king's ransom by Dodgers ownership to play well.

When Ohtani moved to the National League, his stature as an MLB superstar already was created. Ohtani, though, for all his greatness, could not lead the Angels to even getting a whiff of a World Series championship at The Big A in Anaheim, Calif.

Yet Ohtani is surrounded by a clubhouse full of veteran teammates who have weathered many storms in their own careers. He can look over and see Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, and others who have achieved World Series championships whether with the Dodgers or other teams.

Playing for the Dodgers allows Ohtani to focus on personal achievements yet also keeping the bigger goal in mind - a World Series championship. He's got two of them now with Los Angeles and is writing his eventual story that leads to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

For now, though, Ohtani is picking up his MVP trophy and will enjoy seeing it resting besides The Commissioner's Trophy, awarded each season to the World Series champion.