How Shohei Ohtani is fulfilling a ‘childhood dream’ this October

LOS ANGELES — For the previous six years, Shohei Ohtani‘s postseason recollections got here solely as a spectator.�

He remembers figuring out in Seattle when the Dodgers celebrated their 2020 short-season title. He remembers watching some playoff video games final 12 months after elbow surgical procedure worn out the tip of his closing season with the Angels. He remembers the frustration of witnessing different groups do what his staff might by no means accomplish.�

“Total, it is simply actually a combined, difficult feeling,” Ohtani mentioned by way of interpreter Will Ireton, “not with the ability to take part within the postseason.”�

That feeling is lastly gone in 2024, as he will get set to play postseason baseball for the primary time in his major-league profession Saturday night time.�

Twenty-four hours forward of his first playoff recreation, Ohtani was requested if he was nervous. His interpreter, Will Ireton, had translated the primary two questions to start Friday’s press convention. On this question, although, the reigning Nationwide League Participant of the Month determined to take it himself.�

“Nope,” Ohtani responded succinctly in English earlier than Ireton might even start the interpretation.�

“It is at all times been my childhood dream to have the ability to be in an essential scenario, to play in essential video games,” he elaborated later in Japanese. “So I feel the thrill of that’s larger than anything that I might presumably really feel.”

Eight years in the past, at simply 22 years outdated, Ohtani’s two-way abilities helped the 2016 Nippon Ham Fighters win NPB’s Japan Collection. This winter, he made a change to attempt to attain his sport’s pinnacle once more.�

Thirty miles northwest of Anaheim, Ohtani joined a Dodgers staff that had made the playoffs 11 straight seasons. Much more engaging, he appreciated that the membership’s management thought of that decade, which included simply the one short-season World Collection title, a failure.�

Ohtani’s want to win, and the Dodgers’ capacity to take action persistently, made for a symbiotic relationship. It was a welcome change for a participant who had by no means skilled a single successful season and even significant late-season baseball as a major-leaguer.�

This September, for the primary time in his profession, each contest mattered. And he took off.�

Over the course of the month, Ohtani led the majors in batting common, slugging, OPS, hits and steals amongst a litany of offensive stats. By season’s finish, he grew to become the primary participant ever with 50 homers and 50 steals in a season. He completed the 12 months with 54 and 59, respectively, surpassing Ichiro Suzuki’s single-season report for steals by a Japanese-born participant within the course of.�

“For the people who find themselves conspiracy theorists and assume that Vince McMahon is scripting Main League Baseball, I feel the way in which he bought to 40/40, the sport he needed to get to 50/50, I feel has added some gas for these folks,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman mentioned. “It is unimaginable. The power to sluggish every thing down round him is not like something I’ve ever seen.”�

There could also be no higher instance than final 12 months, when he sparkled in entrance of the intense lights of the World Baseball Basic, hitting .435 with a 1.345 OPS whereas going 2-0 on the mound with a 1.86 ERA to earn MVP honors. Ohtani put a bow on Workforce Japan’s win by putting out teammate Mike Trout to safe a victory over Workforce USA.�

“What you do not know about somebody till you see them in these moments is, What sort of competitor are they?” Friedman mentioned. “And he greater than answered these questions for Samurai Japan, particularly in that ninth inning. I bought goosebumps watching that inning, and I feel the entire world bought to see what an unimaginable competitor he’s.”

Ohtani’s efficiency was preceded by a rousing speech pregame by which he suggested his teammates to not be intimidated by the superstars on the opposite aspect.�

“He was main the staff,” Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani’s WBC teammate, recalled by way of a translator, “performing as form of like a pacesetter of the staff.”�

This expertise will differ from the WBC although, as Ohtani acknowledged, partially due to the 5 days main into the postseason. To attempt to keep sizzling and game-ready, Ohtani went to Dodger Stadium each day all through the hiatus and bought two reside at-bats per day. His veteran teammates have not felt the necessity to provide him any sage recommendation forward of his first postseason.�

They noticed all they wanted down the stretch.�

The Dodgers’ grasp of the division lead was slipping on the time. Their 8.5-game lead within the Nationwide League West in late July had shrunk to 2 within the season’s closing week. Ohtani got here to the rescue. He authored one of many best single-game performances of all time to get to 50/50, serving to clinch a spot within the playoffs for the Dodgers within the course of. Every week later, his late go-ahead hits towards the Padres staff chasing the Dodgers within the standings clinched the division.�

Over his closing 10 video games, Ohtani batted .628 with six homers, 10 stolen bases and 20 RBIs.�

“If there’s any individual that I really feel that is going to have the ability to deal with this,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned, “it is definitely Shohei.”�

It seems to be that far more now than it did initially of the 12 months, when Ohtani had a bent to chase with runners on base. He mentioned he had “a robust want to slot in with the staff as quickly as attainable,” and that anxiousness was leaking into his at-bats. The lone imperfection to his offensive profile would finally disappear.�

Past the walk-off grand slam to get to 40/40 and the otherworldly efficiency to get to 50/50, Ohtani’s knack for hitting within the clutch improved an increasing number of the nearer the calendar bought to October. He went 15-for-26 with runners in scoring place in September and completed the season with an OPS over 1.000 in high-leverage spots.�

“I feel that he understands the expertise behind him,” Roberts mentioned. “He cannot do all of it on his personal.”

That supporting forged, led by Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, has made pitching to Ohtani all of the more difficult. Regardless of a 12 months that can possible finish with Ohtani’s third MVP trophy, he was deliberately walked simply 10 occasions, down greater than twice as a lot from a season in the past.�

Whereas Padres supervisor Mike Shildt would not reveal his plan to maintain Ohtani off the bases, he acknowledged how the threats immediately behind Ohtani within the lineup change the dynamic.

“You normally put someone on since you just like the matchups higher behind them,” Shildt mentioned. “And you have two MVP-caliber guys proper behind him.”

There could be a time on this sequence, Shildt mentioned, when the Padres will give Ohtani the free base. On the similar time, the San Diego skipper expressed perception in his cadre of pitching skills and sounded keen to allow them to attempt to assault the Dodgers’ star DH.�

Lefties hit simply .233 towards the Padres pitching employees this 12 months — the sixth-lowest mark within the majors — and the addition of southpaw Tanner Scott to the bullpen offers San Diego an essential high-leverage weapon to fight the numerous left-handed sluggers within the Dodgers’ lineup within the NLDS.�

However few hitters are like Ohtani, who lastly will make an imprint on the MLB playoffs as an alternative of simply watching them.�

“I am excited for our followers,” Friedman mentioned. “I am excited for followers all around the world to get an opportunity to see this. It has been the factor he talked about once we met in December — each subsequent dialog with him has been about October. I feel he is actually excited for the second.”

Rowan Kavner is an MLB author for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand coated the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved again to the West Coast in 2014. Comply with him on Twitter at@RowanKavner.

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