Major League Baseball announced Shohei Ohtani was voted the winner of the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award for his 2023 season with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani is now the second player ever to win the DH award in three consecutive years, joining Hall of Famer David Ortiz, who won five consecutive times from 2003-2007.
The left-handed hitter is one of 11 players to win the award multiple times and is one of four players with at least three career awards, joining Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, who won eight times; the eponymous Martinez of the Seattle Mariners, who won five times; and Hal McRae of the Kansas City Royals, who won three times.
Ohtani batted 304/.412/.654 with 102 runs scored, 151 hits, 26 doubles, eight triples, 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases across 135 games as a DH for the Angels this year.
Among qualified designated hitters with 100 at-bats, he ranked first in hits, runs, total bases (325), triples, home runs, walks (91), stolen bases and slugging.
The two-way star paced the American League with 44 home runs, joining Troy Glaus (47 in 2000) as the only Angels players to finish a season as the league’s home run leader. Ohtani’s 171 career homers to date rank second among all Japanese-born Major League players behind only Hideki Matsui (175).
The 29-year-old compiled the second-longest hitting streak of his career from June 3-18, batting .446 with a 1.071 on-base plus slugging percentage over the 15-game stretch.
On the mound this, Ohtani went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts. He tossed his first career shutout on July 27 at Detroit.
Previously this offseason, Ohtani claimed his second career MVP Award and became the first player in Baseball history to win it unanimously more than once. Ohtani previously won the 2021 AL MVP Award in unanimous fashion as well.
Now in its 50th season, the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award was renamed by former MLB commissioner 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.
J.D. Martinez placed behind Shohei Ohtani in voting
Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves finished second in voting after batting .278 with 40 home runs, 100 RBI, 29 doubles, 84 runs scored, a .567 slugging percentage and a .351 on-base percentage in 142 games as a designated hitter.
Other players receiving votes included Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros (.284, 19 HR, 57 RBI, 51 R, 18 2B); Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies (.297, 11 HR, 45 RBI, 57 R, 23 2B); and J.D. Martinez of the Los Angeles Dodgers (.272, 33 HR, 102 RBI, 61 R, 27 2B).
Martinez and Ohtani are free agents, with the Dodgers expressing interest in both and currently focused on signing the two-way star.
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