TOKYO – Shohei Ohtani is going to save the newspaper industry in Japan — singlehandedly.
The Japanese and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar won his third Most Valuable Player award, this time picking up his first MVP in the National League. He'd already won two in the American League — in 2021 and 2023 — playing with the Los Angeles Angels.
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The award triggered Japanese newspapers to print special editions, given out on Friday morning in central Tokyo. Japan is 14 hours ahead of New York and the east coast of the United States.
“Every year Ohtani has set records that probably no one else can break,” Yoshio Inoue, a student, said while getting his copy.
This comes less than a month after Ohtani and the Dodgers won the World Series, which also prompted the special editions that are fought over as collectors' items.
Several newspapers offered their own renditions, but every one highlighted “MVP” in large letters and an image of Ohtani in Dodgers blue. Ohtani grew up in rural northern Japan where is deeply revered.
“I was reading the newspaper thinking he's amazing,” said Yuko Shimamoto. "I'm very happy to have him representing Japan in MLB."
Called “gogai” in Japanese, the single-page editions are a tradition in Japan to mark special events, and are also used to drive newspaper sales. Newspaper readership is sagging in Japan, but stronger than in many other countries.
Ohtani received all 30 first-place votes and 420 points. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB