Ohtani named Hank Aaron Award finalist for sixth straight year
In short
MLB announced the final candidates for the Hank Aaron Award, with Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani selected for the sixth consecutive year, Nikkei and NHK reported. Nikkei said White Sox's Munetaka Murakami was not among the American League finalists. Fan voting runs through Oct. 12 and the winner will be announced Nov. 11, according to Nikkei.
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Major League Baseball announced the final candidates for the Hank Aaron Award on Oct. 5, according to Nikkei. The award is given to the best batter in each league, NHK reported. Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani was selected as a finalist for the sixth consecutive year, according to both Nikkei and NHK. Nikkei said Ohtani was one of 10 National League finalists. NHK reported the selection as a sports news item, saying Ohtani was chosen as a finalist for the award given to the league's best batter. [ 1 , 2 ]
Nikkei reported that Ohtani has won the award three consecutive years starting in 2023, when he was with the Angels. The final candidates were chosen by reporters for MLB's official website, according to Nikkei. In the National League, Nikkei said the finalists include the Cubs' Crow-Armstrong and the Phillies' Schwarber, both of whom hit 45 home runs and won a title. [ 1 ]
Nikkei said the American League finalists include the Orioles' Alonso and the Astros' Alvarez. It also reported that the White Sox's Munetaka Murakami was left off the finalist list. NHK's report focused on Ohtani's selection and did not mention the other finalists or Murakami's exclusion. [ 1 , 2 ]
Fan voting is open until Oct. 12, and votes from past winners will also be taken into account, Nikkei reported. The winner will be announced on Nov. 11, according to Nikkei. The documents did not say who is leading the voting or when the final decision will be made beyond that date. [ 1 ]
Both Nikkei and NHK identified Ohtani as a Dodgers player. Nikkei described the award as one chosen by fan voting and other votes for outstanding hitters in the American and National Leagues. NHK described it as an award for the league's best batter of the season. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The award recognises the best hitter in each league, and Ohtani's sixth straight finalist selection keeps a Japanese player in the running for a major MLB honour. Interest outside Japan is likely because Ohtani plays for the Dodgers, though the documents do not quantify the award's wider impact.
Key facts
- MLB announced the final candidates for the Hank Aaron Award on Oct. 5, according to Nikkei. [ 1 ]
- Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani was included among the National League finalists, his sixth consecutive year as a finalist. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ohtani has won the award three straight years starting in 2023, when he was with the Angels, Nikkei reported. [ 1 ]
- Nikkei said the National League finalists include the Cubs' Crow-Armstrong and the Phillies' Schwarber, both of whom hit 45 home runs to win a title. [ 1 ]
- The American League finalists include the Orioles' Alonso and the Astros' Alvarez, while the White Sox's Munetaka Murakami was left out, according to Nikkei. [ 1 ]
- Fan voting is open until Oct. 12, and votes from past winners are also included, Nikkei reported. [ 1 ]
- The winner will be announced on Nov. 11, according to Nikkei. [ 1 ]
- NHK reported that the award is given to the best batter in each league. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Ohtani will win this year's award. Nikkei says the winner will be announced on Nov. 11; no result is yet known.
- The complete list of finalists and full voting details. Nikkei names some candidates and says reporters chose the finalists, while NHK does not provide those details.
- Why White Sox's Munetaka Murakami was excluded from the finalists. Only Nikkei reports his exclusion, and it gives no reason.