Shohei Ohtani and Katie Ledecky were honored with ESPY Awards for Best Men's Athlete and Best Women's Athlete, respectively, Wednesday night at ESPN's annual awards show ceremony.
Ohtani is in the midst of his fifth season with the Los Angeles Angels and recently played in his second All-Star Game. Last season, he batted .257/.372/.592 with 46 home runs and 100 RBIs while recording a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings pitched.
Through 89 games this season, the reigning AL MVP is slashing .258/.348/.486 with 19 homers and 56 RBIs. He's pitched 87 innings with a 2.38 ERA and 123 strikeouts.
Ledecky won two gold and two silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics, including a win in the first-ever women's Olympic 1500-meter freestyle. Her six individual gold medals are the most of any female Olympic swimmer.
At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, she won four more gold medals and became the first swimmer, male or female, to ever win five consecutive world championships in an individual event with her 800-meter freestyle victory.
Other winners honored at the ceremony include:
- Dick Vitale (Jimmy V Award for Perseverance)
- Gretchen Evans (Pat Tillman Award for Service)
- Vitali Klitschko (Arthur Ashe for Courage Award)
- Denver Broncos (Humanitarian Team of the Year)
- Charles Oliveira (Best MMA Fighter)
- Jocelyn Alo (Best College Athlete, Women's Sports)
- Bryce Young (Best College Athlete, Men's Sports)
- Shohei Ohtani (Best MLB Player)
- Cooper Kupp (Best NFL Player)
- Stephen Curry (Best NBA Player)
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills in AFC Divisional Game (Best Game)
- Cooper Kupp (Best Championship Performance)
- Albert Pujols (Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award)
- Eileen Gu (Best Breakthrough Athlete)
- Klay Thompson (Best Comeback Athlete)
(Photo of Ledecky: Grace Hollars / USA Today)