Major League Baseball announced this evening that Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers has unanimously been voted the winner of the 2024 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. The winner was unveiled at the 2024 All-MLB Awards Show presented by MGM Rewards from All-MLB Weekend at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Ohtani is the second player ever to win the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award in four consecutive years, joining Hall of Famer David Ortiz, who won five consecutive times from 2003-2007.

During the historic first “50/50” season in Baseball history, Shohei posted a slash line of .310/.390/.646 with 54 homers, 130 RBI, 38 doubles, seven triples, 81 walks, 134 runs scored, 59 stolen bases and a 1.036 OPS across 159 games as a designated hitter in his first season with the Dodgers. Among qualified designated hitters, Ohtani led the Majors in extra-base hits (99), total bases (411) and runs scored; ranked second in homers, RBI and OPS; ranked fourth in hits (197) and walks; and fifth in batting average and on-base percentage.

The four-time All-Star chartered the 50/50 club with a 6-for-6 day on September 19th at Miami, hitting three home runs with 10 RBI, two stolen bases and 17 total bases. His stellar day at the plate was the first three-homer game in MLB history where the player also had multiple stolen bases, and he became the first player with at least five extra-base hits and multiple stolen bases in a game since at least 1901. The 2024 World Series Champion became the Dodgers’ all-time single-season home run leader in the contest, tying Shawn Green (2001) with his 49th blast of the year in the sixth inning before setting the record with his historic 50th home run in the seventh inning. The 2021 and 2023 AL MVP finished the year with 59 stolen bases and was successful in his last 36 attempts (since July 23rd), marking the second-longest streak in Dodgers’ franchise history, trailing only Davey Lopes, who successfully stole 38 consecutive bases from June 6-August 24, 1975. Ohtani swiped his 57th base of the year on September 27th at Colorado, passing Ichiro Suzuki (2001) for the single-season record by a Japanese-born player. The 2018 Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year became the first player with at least 400 total bases in a single season since 2001 when Sammy Sosa (425); Luis Gonzalez (419); Barry Bonds (411); and Hall of Famer Todd Helton (402) each accomplished the feat. Ohtani’s 411 total bases on the year tied Bonds (2001) for fifth-most in a single season, trailing Hall of Famer Stan Musial (429 in 1948); Sosa (425 in 2001); Gonzalez (419 in 2001); and Sosa (416 in 1998). The three-time Silver Slugger hit a home run and stole a base in 16 games this season, marking the most such games in a single season in Major League history, surpassing the previous record of 13 games set by Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson in 1986. The superstar had five such games in September and officially set the record on September 20th against Colorado on the heels of his record-setting game at Miami.

The left-handed-hitting Ohtani is one of 11 players to win the award multiple times and is one of three players with at least four career awards, joining Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, who won eight times; and the eponymous Martinez of the Seattle Mariners, who won five times.

Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves finished second in voting after batting .302/.378/.546 with 39 homers, 104 RBI, 31 doubles, 74 walks, 96 runs scored and a .924 OPS in 162 games as a designated hitter, becoming the first player to start all 162 games as a DH since Willie Horton in 1979, per Elias. Other players receiving votes included Brent Rooker (.288, 34 HR, 99 RBI, 21 2B, 72 R) of the Oakland Athletics; Kyle Schwarber (.241, 37 HR, 100 RBI, 20 2B, 106 R) of the Philadelphia Phillies; 2024 Tony Gwynn National League Batting Champion Luis Arraez (.302, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 8 2B, 30 R) of the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres; Yordan Alvarez (.300, 22 HR, 46 RBI, 25 2B, 55 R) of the Houston Astros; and Giancarlo Stanton (.231, 27 HR, 68 RBI, 18 2B, 49 R) of the New York Yankees. Please note that all stats listed are as a designated hitter.

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.