Shohei Ohtani wins Hank Aaron Award
LOS ANGELE**S --** Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani has won the 2024 Hank Aaron Award, honoring the top hitter in the senior circuit.
Ohtani becomes the second Dodger in franchise history to win the award, following Matt Kemp (2011). The Japan native finished his first season with the Dodgers, slashing .310/.390/.646 with 55 round trippers and 130 RBI. He joined Kemp in the 30/30 club on August 3 against the A’s and on August 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays became the sixth player in Major League Baseball history to reach 40/40, joining Ronald Acuña Jr (2023), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Barry Bonds (1996) and Jose Canseco (1988). He set the all-time mark on September 19 against the Marlins, as he went 6-for-6, clubbing three homers, stealing two bases and driving in 10 runs to become the first player in Major League Baseball history with 50+ homers and 50+ steals in the same season.
He led the National League in on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.646), OPS (1.036), total bases (411), runs and RBI. He was the first player since 2001 to notch 400+ total bases in a single season and set a new Los Angeles Dodgers record with 134 runs in a year.
He won the National League Player of the Month (fifth of his career) after finishing the month of September hitting .393 (42-for-107) with 10 homers, 32 RBI, eight doubles, a triple, 12 walks, 27 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, a .766 slugging percentage and a .458 on-base percentage in 26 games. Ohtani is one of 25 players with at least five career awards and the 13th player to win at least one award in both leagues.
In his first full campaign as the designated hitter for the Dodgers, he led all DHs in all but one offensive category (walks), including 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).
Ohtani is the first player in Major League Baseball history to win the Hank Aaron Award in both leagues and joins Alex Rodríguez, Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Jose Bautista, Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Christian Yelich and Aaron Judge to win the award multiple times.
The Hank Aaron Award was introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th Anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, and, at that time, was the first major award introduced by Major League Baseball in more than 25 years:
Former Major League Baseball – Hank Aaron Award Winners
Year American League National League
1999 Manny Ramirez Sammy Sosa
2000 Carlos Delgado Todd Helton
2001 Alex Rodríguez Barry Bonds
2002 Alex Rodríguez Barry Bonds
2003 Alex Rodríguez Albert Pujols
2004 Manny Ramirez Barry Bonds
2005 David Ortiz Andrew Jones
2006 Derek Jeter Ryan Howard
2007 Alex Rodríguez Prince Fielder
2008 Kevin Youkilis Aramis Ramirez
2009 Derek Jeter Albert Pujols
2010 José Bautista Joey Votto
2011 José Bautista Matt Kemp
2012 Miguel Cabrera Buster Posey
2013 Miguel Cabrera Paul Goldschmidt
2014 Mike Trout Giancarlo Stanton
2015 Josh Donaldson Bryce Harper
2016 David Ortiz Kris Bryant
2017 José Altuve Giancarlo Stanton
2018 J.D. Martinez Christian Yelich
2019 Mike Trout Christian Yelich
2020 José Abreu Freddie Freeman
2021 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Bryce Harper
2022 Aaron Judge Paul Goldschmidt
2023 Shohei Ohtani Ronald Acuña Jr.
2024 Aaron Judge Shohei Ohtani