$700,000,000 Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani beats Lionel Messi and Novak Djokovic to be named the AP Male Athlete of the Year for 2023

Shohei Ohtani has had a tremendous 2023, and following a $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the world has acknowledged it. A

fter winning the World Baseball Classic with Japan and putting in an incredible MLB season with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani has been named The Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year.

This is the second time in three years Ohtani has won the honor, but given his stats and accolades, it's hardly surprising. With the Angels, Ohtani led the AL with 44 home runs, 325 total bases, 78 extra-base hits and a 1.066 OPS as a designated hitter in 2023.

He also held opponents to a .184 batting average, which led the AL. Shohei Ohtani recorded 11.39 strikeouts per nine innings and had a 3.14 ERA when he suffered an elbow injury.

Ohtani beat football and tennis legends Lionel Messi and Novak Djokovic after receiving 20 of 87 votes from members of the media.

Messi and Djokovic finished behind Ohtani, with both receiving 16 votes. Behind them, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic got 12 votes after his historic championship-winning campaign in 2022-23.

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Shohei Ohtani is expected to hit at the same level in 2024 with Dodgers

While there were some concerns regarding Shohei Ohtani's elbow injury, that didn't have any effect on the size of his contract. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Ohtani to a record $700 million deal, which will run for 10 years.

Ohtani's recovery from elbow surgery will keep him from pitching in 2024, but he's expected to make a full recovery. That goes for batting also, and Dr. Neal ElAttrache is confident in Ohtani making a full recovery for the Dodgers.

Following the surgery, he released a statement:

“The ultimate plan after deliberation with Shohei was to repair the issue at hand and to reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for the longevity of the elbow. I expect full recovery, and he’ll be ready to hit without any restrictions come Opening Day of 2024 and do both come 2025.”

This comes as good news for Dodgers fans, who may have been concerned following comments from Ohtani in the documentary, "Shohei Ohtani: Beyond The Dream."

"After the Tommy John surgery in 2019, the following year was also a struggle. I didn't feel that I was recovering how I should. I started to doubt. I thought it might be better to focus on one position to obtain results. That was the time when I honestly considered dropping the two-way path."

It will be interesting to see just how he gets on in a Dodger blue come the 2024 season.