Japanese baseball fans rushed to grab the latest newspaper editions on Friday after Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was named the National League¡¯s Most Valuable Player.

Ohtani earned all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers¡¯ Association of America, picking up a third unanimous MVP award following wins in 2021 and 2023.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was named the winner of the American League¡¯s MVP award, also in a unanimous vote.

Outside a chilly railway station in central Tokyo, newspaper publishers distributed extra print editions to passersby, who queued up to get copies featuring flashy headlines and Ohtani¡¯s game photos.

¡°He is our pride,¡± said 60-year-old retiree Sachie Tsujimura outside the railway station. ¡°I hope he¡¯ll keep getting better next year.¡±

Yoshio Inoue, a 20-year-old university student, had waited for more than an hour before staff began handing out the newspapers at the station, eager to collect as many extra editions as possible.

¡°Frankly speaking, I think he is amazing,¡± Inoue said, carrying a newspaper plastered with red and yellow characters saying, ¡°Ohtani MVP.¡±

Japanese TV stations, including NHK, interrupted regular programming to report on Ohtani¡¯s win.

His performances have become a regular feature of morning TV news programs in Japan, brightening up the start of the day for baseball fans and beyond.

¡°I think more (Japanese) players will learn from Ohtani,¡± said 32-year-old engineer Kohei Nakamura, standing outside another railway station. ¡°He is capable of many things, so I think the players with a variety of skills (like him) will perform well.¡±

Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government¡¯s top spokesperson, congratulated Ohtani on his achievement and said he was looking forward to seeing more success for the player.

Fans will also be able to buy a set of commemorative stamps marking Ohtani¡¯s MVP award, with Japan Post putting them on sale at post offices nationwide and at its online shop.

The five stamps will also come with a file folder and a towel printed with statistics from Ohtani¡¯s record-setting regular season. The collection will cost ?7,260 per set.

Widely considered the greatest player in baseball, the 30-year-old joined the Dodgers on a record 10-year, $700 million deal at the end of last year but elbow surgery prevented him from pitching this season.

He made up for it with his batting, finishing the season with a career-high 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases to become the first member of Major League Baseball¡¯s 50-50 club.