Shohei Ohtani achieves three consecutive Silver Slugger Awards, setting a new record for Japanese players with his fourth win, surpassing Ichiro Suzuki.

The MLB revealed the 2025 Silver Slugger Award recipients today, with Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way player Shohei Ohtani securing the National League designated hitter honor for the third straight year, making it his fourth career win. He not only tied for the second-most wins at the designated hitter position in history but also surpassed Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki to become the Japanese player with the most Silver Slugger awards.

According to MLB’s official site and international media reports, Ohtani had a breakout offensive season, posting a .282 batting average with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs, boasting an overall OPS of 1.014. His 55 home runs set a new Dodgers single-season record, while his 146 runs scored marked the highest for the team since the start of the modern baseball era in 1900, establishing him as a rare power hitter with both slugging and baserunning speed.

Although Ohtani fell short of the home run and RBI titles to Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber, his comprehensive offensive performance earned him the Silver Slugger for the third consecutive season. Since 2023, he has achieved a unique three-peat across different leagues (American League in 2023, National League in 2024 and 2025), making him the most influential designated hitter in history across leagues.

This marks Ohtani’s fourth Silver Slugger award since his first in 2021, ranking second only to Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz’s record of seven wins. Additionally, he has surpassed Japanese baseball icon Ichiro Suzuki’s three awards, becoming the Japanese player with the most Silver Slugger honors in MLB history. Suzuki won the award three times as an outfielder in 2001, 2007, and 2009, and is regarded as a symbol of Japanese baseball.

Besides Ohtani, the National League Silver Slugger list shines with star players. New York Mets’ duo Pete Alonso and Juan Soto won the first base and outfield awards respectively; San Diego Padres’ third baseman Manny Machado earned the honor for the second consecutive year; Colorado Rockies’ catcher Hunter Goodman became the first catcher in team history to receive the award. The Arizona Diamondbacks were the biggest winners, with Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo, and Corbin Carroll all honored.

The official MLB report praised Ohtani for not only defending his Silver Slugger title with “historic hitting statistics” but also for continuously redefining the status of Japanese players in the major leagues. His 2025 season is hailed as a “hitting masterpiece,” reaffirming his legendary status as a two-way talent on the global baseball stage.