Shohei Ohtani won the Edgar Martinez Award, which goes to baseball’s best designated hitter, for the third consecutive season on Thursday.
Ohtani, who is currently a free agent, hit .304 with 44 home runs and an OPS of 1.066 in 135 games as the Angels’ DH in 2023. His season was cut short when he suffered an oblique injury in early September.
Ohtani is the second player to win the award in three consecutive years. David Ortiz won it five years in a row, from 2003-07, with the Boston Red Sox. Ortiz also won in 2011, 2013 and 2016.
Edgar Martinez won the award five times during a seven-year stretch from 1995-2001. The name of the award was changed to bear Martinez’s name in 2004.
The award is determined by voting of team beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments.