Shohei Ohtani Extends ESPY Streak to Five But Misses Out on Coveted Top Honor

We all will definitely agree to the fact that there are not enough superlatives to define Shohei Ohtani’s powers when he enters the field. Last year, he didn’t have his renowned two-way magic but still managed to walk away with the MVP title. Just by serving as a hitter, he earned his fourth ESPY’s Best MLB player award. This year, he made a comeback in his true two-way form and extended ESPY’s streak to five at the 2025 ceremony.

In fact, just two days ago, at the All-Star game, Ohtani was one of the five players to represent the Dodgers in the National League roster. That game eventually fell in NL’s favor as they stacked a historic 6-7 win. Across the 2025 season, Ohtani has held a .276 batting average with 32 home runs and a .988 OPS.

Pair it with his pitching form, where he has held a 1.00 ERA after making a comeback on the mound back in May. Now, was that enough for his fifth ESPY award? Yes. However, for the most coveted honor, he fell short.

Ohtani was nominated for the most prestigious award of Best Athlete—Men’s Sports category. That was of course well-deserved for his continued excellence throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons. But he couldn’t win it this time. All the big names from all across the athletic world came together on the Award night.

Current NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched the Best Male Athlete award. With that, he edged out the Los Angeles Dodgers star and other nominees—Josh Allen and Saquon Barkley.

Back in 2022, Ohtani won both the Best MLB Player and Best Athlete, Men’s Sports awards. He stunned the league that time with his most dominant stretch of starts. He struck out 58 across 39 2/3 innings and held a 0.45 ERA in six starts.

This year, his impact is no less and even recognized by his fellow teammates.

Freddie Freeman opened up on “GOAT” Ohtani

Given his performances, the Dodgers would never be the same without Ohtani’s two-way magic. He had recently entered into his pitching form and is still navigating the longevity of his role. Apparently Freeman believes that Ohtani will make history for being the greatest player of all time.

While most of us are already aware of it, such words coming out of his teammate make it all extra special. “Look at him. What did he throw two days ago? He’s throwing 100 MPH. He’s hitting balls into McCovey Cove. He’s just doing things we’ve never seen. So he’s probably going to be the greatest.” He said it in an interview at the 2025 All-Star game.

Moreover. Freeman has always been affectionate toward Ohtani. Once when Ohtani asked Freeman about his son for his well-being after not seeing him for a while. That very gesture stayed with Freeman, and he praised Ohtani about it.

While he already does so, he encourages his teammates to follow Ohtani’s footing to refine their game and be as versatile as him. In fact, not just Freddie, all his teammates love him just as much.

During the All-Star break, all the Dodgers players were asked which teammate they would want to switch their lives with for a day. Most of them said Ohatni. But why? Because just for a day they want to feel like what it’s like hitting home runs like the superstar.