Shohei Ohtani ties Tiger Woods, hits Scheffler with price

Great MLB Shohei Ohtani has been amassing accolades since his MLB debut in 2018. The Los Angeles Angels-turned-Dodgers star’s accomplishments have been so remarkable that he’s making golf great Tiger Woods in at least one area.

With a new AP award recognition this week, Ohtani tied a record partially held by Woods, and he did it by beating the reigning world golf champion. Scottie Scheffler.

Here’s what you need to know.

Ohtani leads Scottie Scheffler for AP Male Athlete of the Year

In the 2025 MLB season, Ohtani won his fourth MVP award. It was the third straight year he won MLB’s top honor, with the last two coming as a Dodger.

In two years with the Dodgers, Ohtani has lived up to his mega contract, which gave him the highest AAV salary in professional sports, by winning back-to-back World Series titles.

Still only 31 years old, he’s already in the conversation with all-time greats from other sports, such as Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and, of course, Woods.

Ohtani on Tuesday won the 2025 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year award. It was his fourth time receiving that honor, which ties the record for most wins.

Woods, Lebron James and Lance Armstrong are the only other athletes to win the Sportsman of the Year award four times in their careers.

According to the AP, Ohtani won his second straight Athlete of the Year award by receiving 29 of 47 votes from AP sportswriters.

A pro golfer also received votes on the ballot, though far fewer than the winner.

Scheffler, the No. 1 ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking, earned two votes for his two major victories in 2025. That’s the same number of 2025 NBA MVP votes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taken.

Interestingly, while Ohtani, Woods, Armstrong and James have won male athlete of the year awards, they are not at the top of the list when female athletes are included.

The difference goes to another golfer, Babe Didrikson Zahariaswho won the award six times in her distinguished career.