Shohei Ohtani’s dog is truly a show-stopper.
Ohtani, after an incredible first season with the Dodgers, unsurprisingly took home the National League MVP on Thursday night, garnering all 30 first-place votes for a unanimous decision.
Ohtani, sitting with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, and their dog, Decoy, got the news on a live feed as teammate Clayton Kershaw announce that the designated hitter won the top NL award.
But as the excitement was palpable, Decoy decided to jump off the couch and scamper away in a scene-stealing move.
Just one year ago, the world was introduced to Ohtani’s dog during the American League MVP award announcement, when the two-way star and dog shared a high-five.
The dog owned by Shohei Ohtani is a true show-stopper.
Naturally, Ohtani won the National League MVP award on Thursday night after an amazing first season with the Dodgers. He received all 30 first-place votes in a unanimous vote.
Sitting with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, and their dog, Decoy, Ohtani watched a live feed as teammate Clayton Kershaw revealed that the designated hitter had won the top NL award.
But because of the obvious excitement, Decoy made the bold decision to leap from the couch and make a big impression.
Tanaka and Ohtani exchanged shocked looks as the cherished puppy darted off-screen.
Ohtani’s dog was first shown to the world a year ago when the two-way star and dog exchanged high fives at the American League MVP award ceremony.
Many people were curious about the dog’s name, which Ohtani eventually disclosed to be Decoy after he signed with the Dodgers.
In addition, the Dutch Kooikerhondje participated in the Dodgers’ victory parade in Los Angeles following their victory over the Yankees in the World Series.
One user on X compared Ohtani’s fist-bumping his wife to the Tiger Woods “big dog” meme that has gained popularity on social media after Decoy fled during the MVP announcement. Ohtani then gave his wife a few hugs and handshakes.
This happened three days after Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and girlfriend Livvy Dunne had a humorous incident in which the All-Star was stoic and the LSU gymnast was very excited, resulting in an awkward kiss, following the pitcher’s NL Rookie of the Year award.
Ohtani led the NL in a number of categories, including on-base percentage, and dominated his way to his third MVP honor. Slugging (390). 646), OPS (1.036), home runs (54) and RBIs (130), making him the first player in MLB history to hit 50 long balls and steal 50 bases in the same season.
In the voting, Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte came in third place and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor came in second.
