Shohei Ohtani Celebrates MVP Win with His Dog Instead of His Wife
Any pet owner will tell you that man’s best friend usually runs the household, and it appears that Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani‘s dog, Decoy, is no exception.
Ohtani, 31, celebrated winning his fourth career MVP award and third consecutive one in the National League on Thursday, November 13, by planting a kiss on Decoy’s face while his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, cheered beside them.
Former Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly, whose team was recently defeated in the World Series by Ohtani’s Dodgers, made the announcement live on MLB Network. When the camera panned to Ohtani, he was lounging on a couch with Decoy nestled between him and Tanaka.
When Mattingly, 64, mentioned Ohtani’s name, the Dodgers star offered a light applause before choosing Decoy over his wife.
After kissing Decoy, Ohtani reflected on his MVP award, which comes after a career-best season of 55 home runs.
“The most important thing is winning the World Series,” he stated through his interpreter, as reported by MLB.com. “An individual award like MVP is just icing on the cake, but I’m truly grateful for the support from my teammates, everyone around me, and my coaching staff.”
As a rare two-way player, Ohtani mentioned his hope to be pitching from the start of next season. He did not return to the mound in 2025 until July due to recovery from elbow surgery.
Fans have become familiar with Decoy over time, as Ohtani has transformed him into a baseball icon. In addition to taking him to games, World Series parades, and All-Star red carpets, Ohtani has designed custom cleats for Decoy, authored a children’s book about him set for release in 2026, and even secured him an honorary visa from the U.S. Embassy in Japan.
During Ohtani’s bobblehead night in 2024, Decoy even had the honor of delivering the first pitch, picking up the ball on the mound and bringing it to Ohtani, who was crouched behind home plate. Ohtani later mentioned he spent three weeks getting Decoy ready for the moment.
“It was a really special night,” Ohtani shared with MLB.com at the time. “I hope to treat him to something special.”
His manager, Dave Roberts, remarked how impressed he was with Decoy’s performance.
“When I heard Decoy was throwing the first pitch, I was amazed at how well-trained the dog is,” he noted. “If it’s Shohei’s dog, I suppose nothing should surprise us. That was quite impressive.”
Ohtani won the award unanimously, receiving all 30 first-place votes, while the Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber secured second place, and Juan Soto of the New York Mets took third.
In the American League, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge earned his third career MVP award, narrowly beating Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners. Judge, 33, celebrated the announcement with his family, including his wife, Samantha Bracksieck, and their two dogs, Gus and Penny.
Contrarily to Decoy’s calm demeanor during the announcement, Gus began barking in celebration.
