Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been named the National League’s Player of the Week for the third time this season, Major League Baseball said Monday, following a remarkable span of play including a game in which he went 6-for-6 with three home runs, two steals and 10 RBIs to achieve a historic milestone.
In the 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19, Ohtani became the first player to reach 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in an MLB season. Over the seven-game span beginning Sept. 16, the 30-year-old batted .500 with six home runs, seven steals and 17 RBIs.
Combined photo shows Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers stealing third base (bottom) in the first inning and hitting a two-run home run in the seventh inning during a game against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19, 2024, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to steal 50 bases and hit 50 home runs in a season. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Ohtani earned the weekly honor seven times in the American League while playing for the Los Angeles Angels, including three times last year as part of his second AL MVP-winning campaign. His 10 wins overall stands as the most among Japanese players ever to appear in the majors.
After six seasons with the Angels, Ohtani became a free agent over the winter and joined the Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract. The Japanese two-way star, playing only as designated hitter as he rehabs from surgery last September on his pitching elbow, is set to make his first appearance in the MLB playoffs as his NL-West leading team has clinched a postseason berth.
Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners was named AL Player of the Week, hitting .433 with three homers and nine RBIs over six games.
Combined photo shows Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hitting his (from L) 49th, 50th and 51st home runs of the season in a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19, 2024, at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida. He hit two-run homers in the sixth and seventh innings and a three-run homer in the ninth. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
