Japan-born superstar Shohei Ohtani, professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been named the Hickok Belt® Award winner for September 2024. Voting was conducted by a select panel of members of the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Ohtani made history on September 19, 2024, in a game against the Miami Marlins. Ohtani had the greatest single game individual performance in major league history. The power hitter, often compared to the legendary Babe Ruth, became the first MLB player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. The 30-year-old, 6’4” superstar reached the 50/50 milestone in his 150th game, the most spectacular game of his history-making career. Shohei Ohtani is the inaugural member of the MLB 50/50 club and is the odds-on favorite to win the National League MVP Award.
Other finalists for September in order of how the NSMA ranked them were: Aryna Sabalenka (tennis), Jannik Sinner (tennis), Scottie Scheffler (golf), Jameson Taillon (baseball), Lydia Ko (golf), Daniel Dubois (boxing), Charles Leclerc (auto racing), Ross Chastain (auto racing), and Sabsanador (jockey: Mike Smith) (horse racing).
Ohtani’s selection as the Hickok Belt® winner for the month of September recognizes him as “the best of the best” in professional sports for the month. It also makes him the eighth candidate eligible to receive the 2024 overall award, joining Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, Luka Doncic, Scottie Scheffler, Mikaela Shiffrin, Patrick Mahomes, Jannik Sinner and other finalists throughout the year based on NSMA voting.
To learn more about the Hickok Belt® Award and its history, visit http://www.hickokbelt.com.
Provided information
