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Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is eagerly anticipating his postseason debut forward of the staff’s matchup with the San Diego Padres within the Nationwide League Division Sequence.
“It is all the time been my childhood dream to have the ability to be in an necessary recreation,” Ohtani mentioned by means of an interpreter, per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. “So I believe the thrill of that’s better than the rest that I might presumably really feel.”
The 30-year-old spent the primary six years of his profession on the Los Angeles Angels with fellow celebrity Mike Trout. Nevertheless, accidents and the shortage of a constant supporting solid prevented the Angels from making a postseason look all through Ohtani’s tenure with the staff.
After becoming a member of the Dodgers on a large 10-year contract with a complete worth of $700 million, his first season with the group has undoubtedly been successful.
Ohtani completed the common season hitting .310 to go together with a Nationwide League-leading 1.036 OPS. He racked up 54 residence runs, 130 RBIs and 38 doubles.
B/R Stroll-Off @BRWalkoff
OHTANI DESTROYS A BASEBALL FOR HOME RUN NO. 46 😯
(by way of @MLB) pic.twitter.com/cg02hZJ2yq
He additionally stole 59 bases, change into the primary participant in MLB historical past to report a 50-50 season.
MLB @MLB
FIFTY-NINE stolen bases for Shohei Ohtani!
He is been profitable in 36 consecutive makes an attempt. pic.twitter.com/J6yPkiDVyr
Ohtani has expertise in conditions with excessive stress, main Japan to a World Baseball Basic title in 2023. Nevertheless, he believes that the MLB postseason surroundings will not really feel the identical.
“I do assume that the postseason goes to be totally different from the World Baseball Basic, contemplating that we did have every week off,” Ohtani mentioned by means of an interpreter, by way of Gonzalez. “So I am doing the very best I can to ensure that my first at-bat is actually good.”
He’ll start his postseason profession in opposition to Padres starter Dylan Stop, who completed the common season with a 3.47 ERA to go together with a 14-11 report in 33 begins.
Recreation 1 is on Saturday at 8:38 p.m. ET.
