Dodgers Ohtani and Yankees Judge recipients of MLB MVP awards
Baseball’s MVPs have been decided. Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani wins the National League award, while Yankees’ Aaron Judge takes home the title again for the American League.
Just months after helping lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to back-to-back World Series titles, Shohei Ohtani will be looking for another championship repeat.
Only this time it will be while playing for Japan.
Ohtani announced on Instagram he will play for his home country in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) that begins in March. Japan will open play on March 6 in the Tokyo Dome.
Japan won the previous WBC in 2023 thanks in part to an iconic Ohtani moment: He secured Japan’s 3-2 victory over Team USA in the WBC final when he struck out Mike Trout, his former teammate with the Los Angeles Angels, for the game’s final out.
Ohtani dominated throughout the tournament, batting .435 with 10 hits, nine runs and eight RBIs in 26 at-bats. On the mound, he was 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in 9 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and two walks.
The 2026 tournament will culminate in Miami, site of the quarterfinals, semifinals and final on March 17. The 20-team field will be organized into four pools of five teams.
Japan has won three of the five WBC titles since the tournament began in 2006. The United States and Dominican Republic each have won one title.