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(Article Courtesy of LA Dodgers)

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Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani has won the 2024 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. 

Ohtani becomes the first Dodger player to win the award and the second player ever to win the award four consecutive years (2021-24), joining Hall of Famer David Ortiz, who won the award five consecutive seasons (2003-07). Ohtani finished the campaign with a .310 batting average, 54 homers, 59 steals, 134 runs and 130 RBI. He became the first player in Major League history with 50+ homers and 50+ steals in the same season while becoming the first player to notch 400 total bases since 2001. He broke the Los Angeles Dodgers’ record for runs scored in a season with 134 and finished among the Major League leaders in extra-base hits (99, 1^st), runs (1^st), total bases (411, 1^st), hits (197, 4^th), homers (54, 2^nd), RBI (130, 2^nd), batting average (.310, 5^th), OBP (.390, 5^th), slugging percentage (.646, 2^nd) and OPS (1.036, 2^nd). 

He is the first player ever to win the award in both leagues and he is now third all-time with four outstanding designated hitter awards, trailing only Ortiz (eight-time winner, 2003-07, 2011, 2013, 2016) and the namesake Edgar Martinez (five-time winner, 1995, 1997-98, 2000-01). In his first full campaign as the designated hitter for the Dodgers, he led all Major League DHs in all but one offensive category (walks), which included plate appearances (731), at-bats (636), runs, hits (197), doubles (38), triples (7), homers, extra-base hits (99), total bases, RBI, batting average, OBP, slugging percentage and OPS.

His historic season ranks among the best all-time at the designated hitter position as he set new marks for a single season in runs (second all-time, Martinez, 117 in 1996), homers (second, Ortiz, 47 in 2006), extra-base hits (second, Ortiz, 87 in 2016), total bases (second, Ortiz, 336 in 2005) and stolen bases (second, Ohtani, 25 in 2021) while ranking second all-time in a single season in hits (first, Paul Molitor, 200 in 1996), fourth in RBI (first, Martinez, 143 in 2000), second in slugging percentage (first, Travis Hafner, .649 in 2006) and seventh in OPS (first, Martinez, 1.120 in 1995).

Now in its 51^st season, the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award was renamed by Commissioner Allan H. Bud) Selig in a September 2004 ceremony in Seattle in honor of the retired Edgar Martinez.  Ballots are cast by club beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments with nominees including all players with a minimum of 100 at-bats as a designated hitter.

All-Time Winners Include:

• 1973 – Orlando Cepeda
• 1974 – Tommy Davis (Baltimore)
• 1975 – Willie Horton (Detroit)
• 1976 – Hal McRae (Kansas City)
• 1977 – Jim Rice (Boston)
• 1978 – Rusty Staub (Detroit)
• 1979 – Willie Horton (Seattle)
• 1980 – Hal McRae (Kansas City)
• 1981 – Greg Luzinski (Chicago)
• 1982 – Hal McRae (Kansas City)
• 1983 – Greg Luzinski (Chicago)
• 1984 – Dave Kingman (Oakland)
• 1985 – Don Baylor (New York – AL)
• 1986 – Don Baylor (Boston)
• 1987 – Harold Baines (Chicago)
• 1988 – Harold Baines (Chicago)
• 1989 – Dave Parker (Oakland)
• 1990 – Dave Parker (Milwaukee)
• 1991 – Chili Davis (Minnesota)
• 1992 – Dave Winfield (Toronto)
• 1993 – Paul Molitor (Toronto)
• 1994 – Not awarded
• 1995 – Edgar Martinez (Seattle)
• 1996 – Paul Molitor (Minnesota)
• 1997 – Edgar Martinez (Seattle)
• 1998 – Edgar Martinez (Seattle)
• 1999 – Rafael Palmeiro (Texas)
• 2000 – Edgar Martinez (Seattle)
• 2001 – Edgar Martinez (Seattle)
• 2002 – Ellis Burks (Cleveland)
• 2003 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2004 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2005 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2006 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2007 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2008 – Aubrey Huff (Baltimore)
• 2009 – Adam Lind (Toronto)
• 2010 – Vladimir Guerrero (Texas)
• 2011 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2012 – Billy Butler (Kansas City)
• 2013 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2014 – Victor Martinez (Detroit)
• 2015 – Kendrys Morales (Kansas City)
• 2016 – David Ortiz (Boston)
• 2017 – Nelson Cruz (Seattle)
• 2018 – Khris Davis (Oakland)
• 2019 – Nelson Cruz (Minnesota)
• 2020 – Marcell Ozuna (Atlanta)
• 2021 – Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles – AL)
• 2022 – Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles – AL)
• 2023 – Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles – AL)
• 2024 – Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles – NL)

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Play Ball!

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