Story byJake MintzSenior writerTue, March 3, 2026 at 2:44 AM UTC·4 min readThe last time Shohei Ohtani appeared for Team Japan on home soil, his trophy case was almost entirely vacant. That’s difficult to believe, considering all the Dodger mega-star has achieved since. But entering the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Ohtani had captured one measly MVP Award. And though he already established himself as a generational superstar and a singular two-way force, a 62-homer campaign from Aaron Judge in 2022 had relegated Ohtani to a second-place MVP finish. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe’d experienced a dose of team success in Japan, winning an NPB title as a 21-year-old in 2016, but his stateside playoff résumé was completely barren.
