Shohei Ohtani is the AP’s Male Athlete of the Year for record-tying 4th time

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Category: Sports

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. catch up / kætʃ ʌp / (phrasal v.) – to reach the same level or quality as someone
    Example:

    The new chess player is catching up with the champions in just one year.


  2. ballot / ˈbæl ət / (v.) – to ask people to vote for something or someone
    Example:

    The committee is balloting to choose the best actor this year.


  3. culminate / ˈkʌl məˌneɪt / (v.) – to end with an important result after a series of events or actions; to reach a final point or achievement
    Example:

    The festival culminated in a fireworks show for everyone to enjoy.


  4. standout / ˈstændˌaʊt / (n.) – a person or thing in a group that is much better, more important, or more noticeable than the others
    Example:

    She was a standout in the competition, winning first place easily.


  5. unanimous / yuˈnæn ə məs / (adj.) – agreed on by everyone in a group; when all people have the same opinion or make the same decision
    Example:

    The team gave a unanimous vote to choose Maria as captain.


Article

Read the text below.

Shohei Ohtani is catching up with more legends. The baseball superstar ends 2025 by winning The Associated Press (AP) Male Athlete of the Year for the fourth time, tying him with Lance Armstrong, LeBron James, and Tiger Woods for most among male honorees. “Receiving this award multiple times is something truly special,” Ohtani said in Japanese in an exclusive interview with the AP.


Ohtani received 29 of 47 votes in balloting among sports journalists from the AP and its members after his two-way dominance culminated in a repeat World Series title for his Los Angeles Dodgers, delivering perhaps the greatest single-game individual performance in sports history along the way. He previously won the award in 2024, his first season with the Dodgers, and in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Los Angeles Angels.


The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Multisport standout Babe Didrikson Zaharias won six times over the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s, the most by a man or woman. The ultra-competitive Ohtani’s latest win broke a tie with Michael Jordan, whom, along with Woods, he followed while growing up in Japan. “Last year (2024), I said I wanted to win this award again, and I will work hard so that I can win it again next year as well,” he said.


Swedish-American pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, who won his third consecutive world title and has set the world record 14 times, including four times in 2025, was second with five votes in the balloting announced. Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s top-ranked tennis player who won titles at the French and U.S. Opens, was third with four.


Ohtani has shown remarkable consistency since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers on a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract in December 2023. He won his fourth career Most Valuable Player award (second with the Dodgers) by unanimous vote, the first player in major league history to do so.


Does he surprise himself? “Well, yes, there are times when I feel that way about myself, and of course, there are times when I think I’m not good enough,” he said, “so I suppose athletes experience both kinds of feelings.”


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Even top athletes, like Ohtani, sometimes feel nervous or not confident. Why do you think this happens, even for people who are clearly very good at what they do? Discuss.
  • Think about a time when you did not feel confident about your abilities, even though you were good at something. How did you handle the situation? What did you learn from it? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Shohei Ohtani grew up following Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. How do you think it feels for an athlete to achieve something that the people they admired as children had done before? How do you think this affects their motivation and the pressure they feel? Discuss.
  • Imagine you reached a goal that someone you looked up to had already achieved. How might this experience change the way you work or think about your goals? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of having role models to follow in your field or industry? Discuss.