The glory belongs to everyone; Shohei Ohtani affixed the MVP trophy with a tribute to team effort.

Following his selection as NLCS MVP, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani positioned the trophy centrally in the players’ locker room and covered the "Most Valuable Player" inscription with a "TEAM EFFORT" sticker, sharing the honor with the whole team.

In the National League Championship Series that concluded on October 18 Beijing time, the Dodgers swept the Brewers in four straight wins to reach the World Series. In Game 4, Ohtani started as pitcher, throwing six innings with 100 pitches, allowing just two hits, striking out ten, and giving up no runs, completely controlling the game’s tempo. At the plate, he hit a home run in his first at-bat and finished with three homers, delivering a dominant two-way performance that led the team to victory.

Although his hitting was subpar in the first three games, his historic performance in Game 4 earned him the series MVP award. During the post-series ceremony, Ohtani raised the MVP trophy in celebration and later appeared at the press conference still holding the trophy, placing it on the table during the interview.

After Game 4, Ohtani spoke about receiving the series MVP, saying, "I think it’s a bit of coincidence. I happened to perform well today, which gave me the chance to win the award at this moment. But actually, the first three games were key. Being in a winning position going into Game 4 and securing the win, including the previous three victories, I believe every member of the team performed exceptionally well, which led to winning this series."

He added, "I feel like I’m accepting this award on behalf of the entire team. This is the result of everyone’s hard work. We still have four more games to give our all and win."

Since World Series practice resumed on October 20 Beijing time, the NLCS MVP trophy has remained in the locker room, placed in the center of the players’ area. The trophy is engraved with "2025 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES MOST VALUABLE PLAYER," but it is covered with a card reading "TEAM EFFORT."

36-year-old team veteran Miguel Rojas shared the backstory, saying, "When I arrived at the stadium yesterday, the trophy was already there. Although Shohei Ohtani didn’t say anything, I thought it was a really cool idea."

Regarding Ohtani’s almost expressionless demeanor at the MVP award press conference, Rojas commented, "I don’t think he was unhappy; it seemed more like he felt ‘there’s still work to be done.’"