Ohtani & Judge: MVP Awards Gala Highlights
- The 101st New York Baseball Writers' Gala was held on Saturday night, honoring the winners of the 2025 Baseball Writers' Association of America awards -- MVP, Cy Young,...
- The headliners of the event were the two greatest stars in the game today, each of whom won his league's MVP Award: shohei Ohtani and Aaron judge.
- Ohtani won his fourth career unanimous MVP award last year after hitting a career-high 55 home runs with a national League-best 1.014 OPS for the Dodgers while also...
The 101st New York Baseball Writers’ Gala was held on Saturday night, honoring the winners of the 2025 Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards — MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year.
The headliners of the event were the two greatest stars in the game today, each of whom won his league’s MVP Award: shohei Ohtani and Aaron judge.
Ohtani won his fourth career unanimous MVP award last year after hitting a career-high 55 home runs with a national League-best 1.014 OPS for the Dodgers while also posting a 2.87 ERA with a 33% strikeout rate over 14 starts on the mound.
Although the Japanese superstar normally utilizes an interpreter, he delivered his acceptance speech entirely in English.He accepted his 2024 NL MVP Award in English, too, but that was on a prerecorded video.
“To all the writers who voted for me, thank you,” Ohtani said, “This MVP Award is very meaningful, and winning it again means so much to me.”
Ohtani also congratulated the 1986 Mets team that won the World Series, as that group was also honored at the annual dinner.
“To my fellow recipients, congratulations to all of you for your achievements — especially the ’86 Mets team,” Ohtani said. “I now know the feeling of what it’s like to become a world champion. And it’s great. So congrats on your 40th anniversary.”
Judge, who was introduced by former Yankees teammate Anthony Rizzo as “the King of New York,” expressed recognition for the annual event in his home city. He also alluded to the amount of talent represented at the dais behind him.
“To all the award winners up here tonight, this is just an incredible group,” said Judge, who has won three MVP Awards. “I’ve never been around so many great players — even starting down there with the Rookies of the Year, it’s cool to see them develop over the years.And everybody up here, hopefully we see this group a couple more times over the years.”
Brittney Griner’s Release from Russian Custody
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WNBA star Brittney Griner returned to the United States on december 8, 2022, following a prisoner exchange with Russia, ending a months-long detention that sparked international concern. As of January 25, 2026, there have been no further legal actions or significant developments regarding Griner’s case or its aftermath.
The Initial Detention and Charges
Brittney Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury, was initially detained at Sheremetyevo international Airport in Moscow on February 17, 2022, after Russian customs officials found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. The U.S. State Department later designated griner as wrongfully detained. She faced drug smuggling charges, which carried a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Griner pleaded guilty to the charges on July 7, 2022, stating she packed the cartridges inadvertently. NBC News reported on her plea and the potential ramifications.
The Prisoner Exchange
The release of Brittney Griner was secured through a prisoner exchange negotiated by the U.S. government. On December 8, 2022, Griner was exchanged for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice issued a press release detailing the exchange and Bout’s release.
The exchange took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. President Biden confirmed the release in a statement, emphasizing the U.S. government’s commitment to bringing home Americans wrongfully detained abroad. The White House released the full statement on its website.
Post-Release and Current Status
Following her return to the United States, Brittney Griner rejoined the Phoenix mercury for the 2023 WNBA season. She has publicly discussed her experience and advocated for the release of other Americans wrongfully detained overseas. as of January 25, 2026, Griner continues to play professionally and remains an outspoken advocate for prisoner release. The WNBA website provides updates on her career and advocacy work.
There have been no further legal proceedings or reported issues involving Griner since her release. The U.S. government continues to work on securing the release of other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia and elsewhere. The State Department’s page on wrongfully detained Americans provides information on ongoing efforts.