"All the hard work has paid off" – Shohei Ohtani on earning his third AP Male Athlete of the Year award after dominating 2024 season

After an incredible 2024 season, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been confirmed as the Associated Press (AP) Male Athlete of the Year 2024. This is Ohtani's third time winning the award, bringing him level with basketball legend Michael Jordan.

After being honored, Ohtani talked to the Associated Press, expressing his delight at winning the award.

"“I’m very honored. Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I’ll get the award again.” Ohtani said, with the help of translator Matt Hikada.

With the kind of near-perfect season the Japanese superstar had, though, it would always be a tall order for any other athlete to surpass Ohtani. The 30-year-old ended the regular season batting .310, with 54 home runs and 130 RBIs, also stealing 59 bases to go along with the homers, becoming the first-ever player in big league history to reach the 50-50 landmark. As expected, Shohei Ohtani unanimously won the NL MVP come November.

From a team standpoint, too, Ohtani won pretty much everything there is to win. The Dodgers ended the regular season with the best record in the major leagues, winning the NL West championship, before going on to win the pennant and ultimately the eighth World Series title in franchise history, making light work of their AL counterparts, the New York Yankees, in the showpiece event.

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Shohei Ohtani offers update on fitness after shoulder surgery

Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers taking a 2-0 lead after beating the New York Yankees in the first two games of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, fans still suffered a huge scare as Shohei Ohtani appeared to hurt his shoulder attempting to steal a base in game two. Further examination revealed that the injury was not extremely serious and that Ohtani could have played through it.

However, once the season came to an end, the Japanese International decided to undergo surgery to ensure it was appropriately taken care of, with plenty of time on his hands to be able to recover. Speaking to the Associated Press on Monday, Ohtani offered an update on his current fitness levels.

"I don’t have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better. There’s no pain. There’s obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it’s getting better.” Ohtani said

Shohei Ohtani walks off the field after injuring his shoulder in game two of the World Series against the New York Yankees. (Credits: Getty)

Shohei Ohtani's words will undoubtedly be a relief for Dodgers fans, who would no doubt have been worried if the superstar could return to full fitness in time for the 2025 season.

The new season is still a ways away, and there is a good chance Ohtani will be able to strengthen his shoulder, be back in top shape and ready to challenge for titles again come March.