Shohei Ohtani: The Unstoppable Force in Baseball
The 2026 season marks another year of Shohei Ohtani's dominance in Major League Baseball (MLB). For the second consecutive year, and the fourth time since 2022, Ohtani has been named the best player in baseball by MLB Network. This time, he outshone Aaron Judge, securing the top spot for the second year in a row. Bobby Witt Jr. once again took the third position, trailing behind the two-time reigning MVPs.
Ohtani's impact with the Dodgers has been nothing short of extraordinary. In his first two seasons, he won the NL MVP in both 2024 and 2025, leading the Dodgers to their first repeat championship in 25 years. He shattered records, becoming the first Dodger to hit 50 home runs in a season in 2024 (finishing with 54) and breaking the franchise's single-season home run record with 55 in the following year. Ohtani's achievements also include becoming the founding member of the 50-50 club, a feat unmatched by any other player.
Ohtani's success story began in 2021 and 2022 when he was named the best player in baseball. However, the 2023 season saw him finish as the runner-up to Ronald Acuña Jr., who achieved the first 40-70 season in baseball history. Three other Dodgers made it into the top-20 of MLB Network's list: Will Smith at no. 20, Mookie Betts at no. 18, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at no. 13. Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker narrowly missed the top-20, coming in at no. 22 and 21, respectively.
The mystery surrounding Ohtani's personality and off-field behavior has sparked curiosity. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times shared an intriguing insight during an appearance on The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. Hernandez revealed, 'I've never had a human-to-human conversation with [Ohtani]—it's always been athlete-to-reporter. That's very rare... He's a complete mystery. I've never seen anybody quite like this.'
Looking ahead, the 2027 Hall of Fame class promises an intriguing debate. Jayson Stark of The Athletic highlights notable names like Buster Posey and Jon Lester entering their first year of eligibility. Chase Utley, who received 59.1% of votes on the 2026 ballot, still has a long way to go. However, Stark argues that Utley's career hit total could give him a strong case, considering Posey's 1,500 hits, despite being a three-time champion and the 2012 NL MVP. The leap from 59.1% to 75% is significant, but if Posey is elected with only 1,500 hits, Utley's 1,855 hits might not seem like much of an obstacle anymore.
