DH Dominance: Shohei Ohtani Takes Home…

For the fourth consecutive season, Shohei Ohtani was named the winner of the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, which is given to the top DH annually since the position was implemented in 1973.

It is Ohtani’s first win with the Los Angeles Dodgers after winning three with the Los Angeles Angels, and he becomes the first Dodgers player to win the honor.

Ohtani is also just the second National League player to win the award, joining Marcell Ozuna who won in 2020 for the Atlanta Braves. However, it wasn’t until 2022 that the NL fully adopted the DH rule after utilizing it during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Last year, Ohtani became just the second player to ever win the Outstanding DH Award in three consecutive seasons, joining Hall of Famer David Ortiz, who won five consecutive times from 2003-2007. He is now the second player ever to win it four consecutive years.

He is the first player ever to win the award in both leagues and he is now third all-time with four outstanding designated hitter awards, trailing only Ortiz (eight-time winner, 2003-07, 2011, 2013, 2016) and the namesake Edgar Martinez (five-time winner, 1995, 1997-98, 2000-01).

Ohtani put on an offensive performance never before seen, becoming the first member of the 50/50 club after setting career highs in home runs and stolen bases with 54 and 59, respectively. Ohtani was extremely efficient as well on the bases, only being caught stealing four times.

He finished the year hitting .310/.390/.646 with 38 doubles, seven triples, 54 home runs, 134 runs scored, 130 runs batted in and a 181 wRC+.

Ohtani set career highs in just about every single offensive category, except for on-base percentage and slugging percentage which saw slightly higher marks in 2023 due to his 139 more at-bats in 2024.

Ohtani led the National League in runs, homers, RBIs slugging, on-base plus slugging (1.036) and total bases (411). It was his second consecutive season with an OPS of more than 1.000.

In his first full campaign as the DH for the Dodgers, he led all Major League DHs in all but one offensive category (walks), which included plate appearances (731), at-bats (636), runs, hits (197), doubles (38), triples (7), homers, extra-base hits (99), total bases, RBI, batting average, OBP, slugging percentage and OPS.

His historic season ranks among the best all-time at the designated hitter position as he set new marks for a single season in runs (second all-time, Martinez, 117 in 1996), homers (second, Ortiz, 47 in 2006), extra-base hits (second, Ortiz, 87 in 2016), total bases (second, Ortiz, 336 in 2005) and stolen bases (second, Ohtani, 25 in 2021) while ranking second all-time in a single season in hits (first, Paul Molitor, 200 in 1996), fourth in RBI (first, Martinez, 143 in 2000), second in slugging percentage (first, Travis Hafner, .649 in 2006) and seventh in OPS (first, Martinez, 1.120 in 1995).

Earlier in the year, he surpassed Hideki Matsui for the most home runs ever by a Japanese-born player in the majors with his 176th career homer in April and surpassed 200 against the Detroit Tigers in June.

He also went on to become the all-time home run leader by Asian-born players when he slugged the 219th of his career, surpassing Shin Soo-Choo, who was born in Busan, South Korea.

Now in its 51st season, the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award was renamed by Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig in a September 2004 ceremony in Seattle in honor of the retiring Martinez.

Ballots are cast by club beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments with nominees including all players with a minimum of 100 at-bats as a designated hitter.

Shohei Ohtani awards in 2024

Earlier this week, Ohtani beat out Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves for his third Silver Slugger Award, and first with the Dodgers in the National League after collecting two with the Angels in the American League.

He was also named the NL Outstanding Player as part of the 2024 Players Choice Awards and he took home the Sporting News MLB Player of the Year honors.

He is also a finalist for the NL MVP Award, which he is likely to win.