On Thursday, Shohei Ohtani was acknowledged for his 2023 season when he was thinking about his future.

The free agency and former Los Angeles Angels standout had a tremendous season in both the outfield and the bullpen, leading the American League to unanimously crown him MVP. Ohtani becomes the first player in Major League Baseball history to win AL MVP twice in a row, a feat he has accomplished twice in the past three seasons.

Ohtani, who is 29 years old, won the title after defeating Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, both of whom are infielders for the Texas Rangers. Semien received five second-place votes and 216 points, putting him in third place, and Seager received 24 second-place votes and 264 points, putting him in second place. The other vote for second place went to Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, who came in fifth.

Ohtani became just the 33rd player in NBA history to win two or more MVPs after receiving all 30 first-place votes. Just two other active players, Mike Trout (2014), Bryce Harper (2015), and Miguel Cabrera (2016), have won multiple MVPs.

The 2023 season was another banner one for the Japanese star’s pitching and hitting. Along with a.304 batting average, twenty-six stolen bases, eight triples, twenty-four home runs, and a 1.066 OPS, he was the league leader. Ohtani recorded 167 strikeouts in 132.0 innings pitched across 23 starts, good for a 10.5-2 record with a 3.14 ERA.

Free agency will be the next topic of discussion now that the 2023 season is over. Despite not pitching in 2024, Ohtani is still the best talent available. He will be limited to playing designated hitter next season after undergoing surgery in September to repair a UCL rupture.