LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani was already a superstar with his hitting and pitching accomplishments over six years with the Los Angeles Angels. Yet every October, Ohtani vanished, with the Angels having a losing record and never making the playoffs.
Coming up Interstate 5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers seemingly changed everything — for him and the franchise.
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“I’m just like the fans,” All-Star teammate Mookie Betts said, “I’m looking forward to seeing Shohei play in the postseason.”
Ohtani's two-way talents are unlikely to be fully displayed, as he is still rehabbing from a second major elbow surgery a year ago. Manager Dave Roberts had floated the possibility of Ohtani helping out on the mound, but recently backed away, saying, “I just don’t see it happening.”
Still, the Dodgers' $700 million man can impact games like no other player. He unveiled a different unprecedented two-way skillset this season, creating baseball’s 50-50 club — the first player with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season. He finished with 54 homers and 59 steals.
He also fell just short of being the NL's first Triple Crown winner since 1937. He led the league in homers and RBIs (130) and finished second with a .310 batting average to San Diego's Luis Arráez (.314). Among his astounding numbers: a .646 slugging percentage, 134 runs scored, 411 total bases and an OPS over 1.000.
Ohtani helped the Dodgers finish with the best record in the majors (98-64) for the third time in five years and win the National League West title for the 11th time in 12 years.
“The most important part of all this is I was able to play consistently throughout the whole year,” he said through an interpreter.
The Dodgers open the postseason Saturday in the NL Division Series. They've clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Ohtani was determined to play in October
Ohtani wanted to play meaningful games in October and have a shot at winning a World Series. That meant getting out of Anaheim.
He signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December. Its structure gives the team more payroll flexibility in the coming years and allows Ohtani to defer compensation, which could help him avoid paying millions in state taxes if he lives outside California when the deferred money is paid.
His deal includes a luxury suite for home games, where his new wife, Mamiko Tanaka, and their dog, Decoy, have been spotted.
$700 million for an international phenomenon
Ohtani isn’t the only one cashing in.
His presence is generating money for the Dodgers, who signed a slew of Japanese sponsors this season. Tours of Dodger Stadium attract hordes of Japanese fans wearing No. 17 jerseys who learn about the third-oldest ballpark in the majors from guides speaking their native language.
Tomoko Suto and her sister recently flew from Japan to see Ohtani for three games at Dodger Stadium. The 62-year-old Tokyo resident said they scrimped on airfare and hotel costs to spend more money on good seats and a stadium tour.
“I'm proud of him as a Japanese,” Suto said, wearing an Ohtani T-shirt. “As a boy he only focused on baseball and doing very, very good job. I’m very impressed and it made me want to watch him.”
Major League Baseball and MLB Players Inc. are cranking out T-shirts, coins, water bottles, towels, trading cards and other licensed souvenirs commemorating Ohtani's 50-50 achievement.
His two bobblehead nights caused massive traffic tie-ups around the stadium and had fans lined up hours before the gates opened trying to snag.
He drove significant demand for game tickets on the secondary market, with big jumps in prices compared to before he donned Dodger blue. The team already drew well on the road, but Ohtani's presence sent the turnstiles whirring.
“It’s easy to like him, easy to root for him, fun to watch him,” Roberts said. “It’s been amazing on the road, just seeing how many people come to just watch him play, and when he takes his last at-bat, people tend to leave the ballpark. People just like to watch greatness. And he’s going to go down as one of the greats of all time.”
Watching history in real time
Books about Ohtani’s first season with the Dodgers are set to be published soon after it ends.
Reaction to his historic accomplishments has been overwhelming on social media, while his game highlights are among the top trending video clips.
Ohtani even has his own day in Los Angeles — every May 17 for the duration of his Dodgers career, as proclaimed by the City Council.
Perhaps unintentionally, a mystique exists around the private Ohtani. He revealed his marriage but no other details shortly before the season began, and he speaks only Japanese during tightly controlled media sessions, although Roberts says he speaks better English than he lets on.
Even the stunning betrayal by his longtime interpreter Ippei Mizuhara — charged with stealing $16 million from Ohtani to pay illegal gambling debts — didn't seem to rattle Ohtani publicly.
“People are amazed at how he has such impact in our sport and how he remains humble and remains focused on doing his job,” Roberts said.
Baseball's biggest star on its brightest stage
Even if he hasn't pitched in MLB's postseason, baseball fans have already seen Ohtani perform under championship pressure. He starred for Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, batting .435, drawing 10 walks, blasting a home run and stealing bases. He did it on the mound, too, striking out 11, including his then-Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out that gave Japan a 3-2 victory over the U.S. team in the final.
Those who see how Ohtani prepares expect nothing less.
“I’m honestly kind of trying to learn from him just seeing the way he goes about his day-to-day business," Dodgers switch-hitting center fielder Tommy Edman said. "He’s very consistent, the same demeanor throughout. I think that’s why he’s such a good player.”
Ohtani is meticulous in his preparation, juggling ongoing elbow rehab with studying opposing pitchers, working with the hitting coaches and tuning his swing in the batting cage.
“Three, four hours before the game, he's already thinking what he's going to do,” teammate Teoscar Hernández said.
Ohtani's focus, energy and record-setting achievements carried the Dodgers during the 162-game slog of the regular season when the team endured a slew of injuries and still finished with the best record.
“I think the whole world's looking forward to him in October,” Roberts said.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb