{"id":537576,"date":"2026-01-25T13:04:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T13:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/537576\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T13:04:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T13:04:11","slug":"watch-shohei-ohtani-deliver-touching-mvp-acceptance-speech-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/537576\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch Shohei Ohtani deliver touching MVP acceptance speech in English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani<\/a> was formally honored Saturday night at the 101st annual New York Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) Awards Gala, where he accepted his latest National League Most Valuable Player award and delivered a heartfelt speech in English<\/a> lasting over two minutes. The event was held at the Hilton in Midtown Manhattan and streamed exclusively on the Foul Territory YouTube channel for the second consecutive year.<\/p>\n

During the ceremony, the 31-year-old thanked the BBWAA, the writers who voted for him, and the Dodgers organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis MVP Award is very meaningful, and winning it again means so much to me,\u201d said Ohtani.<\/p>\n

He also acknowledged Dodgers ownership, the front office, teammates, the coaching staff, his agent, CAA, and his family, particularly his wife, daughter, and Decoy. This appearance was Ohtani’s first at the event since joining the Dodgers, as he had been unable to attend the 2024 BBWAA gala due to the Southern California wildfires.<\/p>\n

Shohei Ohtani just delivered a 2-minute+ long speech in English after accepting the NL MVP Award at the BBWA Award show.<\/p>\n

Ohtani thanked his Dodgers teammates, coaching staff and went in-depth on what this award means to him.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s our superstar \ud83e\udd72
pic.twitter.com\/hNdZVCf2ES<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) January 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

In his second year with the Dodgers, Ohtani was unanimously voted National League MVP<\/a>, the fourth MVP award of his career. He previously won two American League MVPs with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023, followed by consecutive NL MVPs in 2024 and 2025. All four of Ohtani’s MVP awards have been unanimous, making him the only player in MLB history to achieve that distinction. He is also just the second player ever to win at least four MVPs, joining legendary Barry Bonds, who won seven.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Ohtani posted a .282 batting average with a .392 on-base percentage and a .622 slugging percentage, along with 25 doubles, 55 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a 172 weighted runs created plus (wRC+). The 55-homer season set a new high for the Dodgers<\/a>, beating the previous record of 54 from last year. He also returned to pitching this past season, finishing 1\u20131 with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP across 14 starts.<\/p>\n

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

Ahead of the 2026 season, MLB Network ranked Ohtani No. 1 overall for the second consecutive year, ahead of Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. With four MVPs, multiple championships, and record-setting production, Ohtani’s appearance at the BBWAA gala provided another milestone moment in a career defined by unprecedented achievements.<\/p>\n