Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Misses Out on Triple Crown; Padres' Arráez Wins Batting Title

After a close race to secure the 2024 National League batting title, San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arráez emerged victorious.

Arráez recorded his 200th hit of the season during the Padres' 11-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, ending the year with a .314 batting average. He became the first player to win a batting title with three separate teams.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani nearly earned the first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. He already owned the NL lead in home runs and RBIs, although his averaged trailed the average of Arráez by four points at the end of Saturday night's action.

Ohtani went 1-for-4 during the Dodgers' 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies, finishing with a .310 average.

The race didn't initially appear as if it would be close, as Arráez was hitting .320 on Sept. 13 while Ohtani was at .290 (via Baseball Reference).

However, a strong end to the season nearly resulted in the Dodgers' designated hitter winning the first Triple Crown by a National League player since 1937.

In the 15 games prior to Sunday's contest, Ohtani recorded an extremely impressive .476 batting average. This included a 6-for-6 performance during a win over the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19.

The 30-year-old has exceeded expectations in his first year with the Dodgers after signing a 10-year contract worth $700 million in free agency. Even though the two-way star wasn't able to take the mound during the regular season after undergoing elbow surgery, he has still made a large impact for Los Angeles.

Ohtani suited up in a career-high 159 games in 2024, racking up 54 home runs and 130 RBIs to go along with 38 doubles. He also stole 59 bases, becoming the first player in MLB history to join the 50/50 club.

The Dodgers finished the regular season with 98 wins, good enough for the best record in the majors. Even though he wasn't able to win the Triple Crown, Ohtani will still be preparing for the first postseason appearance of his career.