Shohei Ohtani MVP blowout cements him as Dodgers' most legendary bargain

Shohei Ohtani’s unanimous 2025 National League MVP isn’t just another trophy — it’s the ultimate validation that the Dodgers pulled off the greatest bargain in modern baseball history.

When Ohtani signed his 10-year, $700 million contract, critics balked — until the details emerged. With roughly $680 million deferred, the Dodgers pay him only about $2 million per year in actual salary until 2034. In other words, they’re getting the best player on the planet for the same present-day payroll hit as a halfway decent middle reliever.

In effect, Los Angeles is paying couch-change for an MVP who simultaneously anchors its lineup and, now again, its rotation. No team has ever received that level of production for that little real-time cost. So, Ohtani’s 2025 MVP isn’t just history; it’s proof that the Dodgers managed to turn baseball’s most expensive contract into its most legendary bargain.

And, by the way, the Dodgers reportedly made the entire $700 million bulk back in just Year 1. The power of Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani's historic MVP win represents crown jewel of Dodgers' spending philosophy

Ohtani slugged 55 home runs, led the NL with a 1.014 OPS and posted a 179 OPS+ — all while returning from his second elbow reconstruction and rehabbing on the fly. Then, once cleared to pitch, he logged 14 starts with a 2.87 ERA and a 145 ERA+, striking out 62 and walking only nine.

That kind of dual dominance in one roster spot would be absurd even if Ohtani made $40 million a year. Doing it while the Dodgers pay him a fraction of that borders on fantasy-baseball economics.

The Dodgers spend big, but they spend smart — and Ohtani’s deal epitomizes that. His deferrals gave Los Angeles flexibility to build around him with the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, forming the most star-studded roster in baseball without pushing the payroll into chaos.

Ohtani's third straight MVP — and fourth overall — shifts him from generational marvel to mythic status, and it cements his identity as the defining Dodger of this era. Even among legends like Sandy Koufax, Clayton Kershaw, and Jackie Robinson, no one has ever altered the physics of the sport the way Ohtani has. Even if he never played another game, the Dodgers would have already extracted a Hall-of-Fame career’s worth of production for pennies on the dollar.

For the Dodgers, Ohtani's contract isn't just a luxury signing; it’s a masterclass in resource allocation. Every home run, every quality start, every MVP vote is a reminder that the richest team in baseball somehow also landed the best value.