It's all about the MVPs. We're talking about the Most Valuable Pets

It was a night for the MVPs. We mean, of course, the Most Valuable Pets.

Newly minted four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani has not only set a precedent for baseball greatness, but he's also raised the bar for turning a pet into a global superstar. His pup Decoy, for the third year in a row, was at the center of the MVP announcement, sitting between Ohtani and his wife Mamiko. Sort of like Ohtani winning the award again, that didn't come as too much of a surprise.

But over in the American League, Aaron Judge racked up his third MVP with his two dogs, Gus and Penny, celebrating on the sofa alongside him and his wife, Samantha. It wasn't the first time Judge has shown off his dogs, who have frolicked on the field with him before and who even had their own plush toys available at the Yankee Stadium store this season. But it was the first time they've shared the MVP stage with him.

It wasn't only canines getting caught up in the spotlight, though. Don Mattingly joined the MLB Network show to announce Judge as the winner, and his cat (Don Cattingly? One can dream) could be seen lounging in the background without a care in the world.

Ohtani celebrated his third consecutive unanimous win with a deserved smooch for his pooch, who had patiently sat through the announcement, with some prodding from his owner, of course. Gus and Penny were a little more active, barking and jumping around the couch in excitement after the Yankees slugger had won.

While Judge and Ohtani no longer have to go against one another in the MVP race now that they reside in different leagues, their good dogs are keeping the friendly competition going.