WATCH: Shohei Ohtani turns emotional, jumps around with Dodgers teammates in joy as he savors first World Series victory
After a trophy-laden career both in MLB and NPB, Shohei Ohtani is finally a World Series champion. Baseball's modern-day unicorn has reached the pinnacle of the sport after his Dodgers pulled off the biggest comeback in a clinching game in World Series history on Wednesday to finish off the Yankees in five games.
Ohtani, who is set to win his third MVP award stateside, didn't produce in the way that the fans expected him to in the Fall Classic. This is in large part due to a shoulder injury that he suffered in Game 2. However, the Dodgers star played through the injury in a bid to help his team win the title.
At the series' conclusion, the more mild-tempered and stoic superstar showed a different side of him as he celebrated with his teammates. Visibly emotional, Shohei Ohtani shared hugs and jumped up and down as he cherished his first MLB championship.
With the victory, Ohtani's playoffs-to-championships percentage stands at 100% as he claimed the title in his postseason debut.
Shohei Ohtani wins back-to-back baseball titles
It's now two consecutive years that Shohei Ohtani has claimed major baseball titles. In light of his World Series success this season, baseball's biggest two-way star also claimed the World Baseball Classic last year.
Similar to soccer's FIFA World Cup and the FIBA World Cup in basketball, the World Baseball Classic is the biggest international tournament for baseball. In 2023, Ohtani, along with Yu Darvish, Shota Imanaga, and Lars Nootbaar, the Japan national baseball team won the highest international honor a nation can achieve.
The grand final was held in Miami's LoanDepot Park and to say that the ending is cinematic, would be an understatement. Ohtani faced long-time Angels teammate and the face of MLB, Mike Trout.
With Japan leading the United States 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, the matchup of biblical proportions happened when Shohei took on Trout.
Ohtani got his teammate to bite on his slider to claim Japan's third WBC title. The two-time MLB MVP was named as the tournament MVP.