Shohei Ohtani Wins Historic 2025 MLB Outstanding DH Award for 5th Straight Season
Shohei Ohtani remains the gold standard for designated hitters after receiving his fifth consecutive Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award following an incredible 2025 season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was announced as the winner on Thursday, beating out Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies and George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays for the award given to MLB's best DH.
Ohtani received the honor again after hitting .285/.395/.626 with 53 homers in his 156 games from the DH spot in the Dodgers' lineup. (He hit two homers as a starting pitcher.) His 7.2 fWAR was two wins better than anyone else at the position. Schwarber was the only other DH worth at least five wins above replacement (5.2).
Springer was the only player with at least 300 plate appearances from the DH spot with a higher weighted on-base average than Ohtani (.432 to .421). The difference is Ohtani had 695 plate appearances as a DH, compared to 359 for Springer.
Since MLB introduced the Outstanding DH award in 1973, Edgar Martínez and David Ortiz were the only players who won it at least five times. Ortiz holds the record as an eight-time winner. Martínez won it five times during his Hall-of-Fame career.
Ohtani, who is only 31 and just finished his eighth season, is now a five-time winner of the award. He has won it every season since 2021, tying Ortiz's run from 2003 to '07 for the most consecutive wins.
