Shohei Ohtani ‘needs to be the best participant to ever play this sport’: Is 50/50 subsequent?

LOS ANGELES — That is what the Dodgers envisioned once they dedicated $700 million to a unicorn. 

On Sept. 19, 2023, Shohei Ohtani underwent main elbow surgical procedure. Eleven months later, the two-time MVP stepped to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded within the ninth inning of a tie sport Friday night time at Dodger Stadium, one house run away from making historical past for his new group. 

He had already stolen his fortieth base earlier within the night time. His subsequent blast would make him the primary Dodgers participant ever to affix the 40/40 membership. Nobody in MLB historical past had completed the feat in fewer than 147 video games. Solely 5 large leaguers had completed it in any respect. 

This was Ohtani’s 126th sport of the season and group sport No. 129 for the Dodgers. 

“You may simply sense that he felt that he was the correct man within the spot,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated. 

He was not alone. 

From the clubhouse, Bobby Miller was ending his post-start arm care routine. The Dodgers pitcher, not lengthy after finishing considered one of his finest begins of the season, sensed what was coming with the prospect for a historic walk-off grand slam beckoning Ohtani. 

“Like, ‘How cool would this be?’” Miller stated earlier than Ohtani despatched the primary pitch he noticed from Colin Poche hovering deep towards right-center subject. 

Initially, Roberts wasn’t certain if Rays middle fielder Jose Siri may monitor it down. Ohtani himself had a tough time deciphering if he bought sufficient of the slider from Poche, which sailed 105.1 mph off his bat and 389 toes into the night time sky at Chavez Ravine. However the ball reached the seats, tipping off a fan’s glove earlier than trickling again onto the sector as pandemonium ensued from the 45,556 followers in attendance. 

“I all the time say you’ll be able to’t script a sport,” Roberts stated, “however man, if there was a script, that could not have been written any higher.” 

Shohei Ohtani hits walk-off grand slam to affix 40/40 membership

For a short second, Ohtani wasn’t certain if the ball may need hit the fence or was caught. He watched the umpire elevate his hand, signaling house run, then pointed one finger towards the sky after reaching first base. His countenance didn’t provide any sense of his elation till he neared third base, clapped his palms, flipped his helmet towards the Dodgers dugout and jumped into the arms of his teammates at house plate. 

Then got here the Gatorade tub from Teoscar Hernández and a pair extra bottles of sports activities drink on his head courtesy of Miguel Rojas. 

Afterward, whereas Ohtani tried to maintain the concentrate on his major goal this yr — reaching the playoffs for the primary time in his profession and successful a World Sequence — it was clear to these round him what this accomplishment meant to the Nationwide League MVP front-runner. 

“He is human,” Roberts stated. “I believe that he needs to be the best participant to ever play this sport. And whenever you begin doing issues like that, then you definately’re actually staking your declare.”

The achievement had been within the works for the reason that spring. 

Ohtani was conscious of the 40/40 membership earlier than the yr started. Unable to affect video games as a pitcher this yr, he sought one other option to contribute. Earlier than the season started, he labored tirelessly with first base coach Clayton McCullough and head energy coach Travis Smith to place himself in place to be as aggressive on the basepaths as attainable. 

He had by no means stolen greater than 26 bases in a season. 

This yr, he’s on tempo for almost double that. He has solely been caught stealing 4 occasions. 

“I do know that he is taken superb care of his legs to have the ability to try this and to be that dynamic participant,” Roberts stated. “He is doing his homework on opposing pitchers, actually working arduous on that, and he is getting nice jumps. And I believe even now you begin to see, he is a a lot better base stealer, he is very environment friendly. Whereas early on within the season, and even years after we performed towards him, he was tentative, his stolen base share wasn’t nice, however now he is an elite base seller with a excessive success price.”

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Past his pace, Ohtani’s 40 house runs, .614 slugging share and .992 OPS all lead the NL. He has the prospect to turn into the primary major designated hitter to win an MVP. 

Now, his feats even have the facility to vary his group’s destiny.

Ohtani was the Rookie of the Yr in 2018. He was the MVP in 2021. He completed fourth in Cy Younger voting in 2022 and have become the one participant in MLB historical past with no less than 10 wins and 30 homers in the identical season. He was the MVP once more in 2023. At no level in that stretch — even through the shortened 2020 season — have been the Angels nonetheless in rivalry by the point the calendar reached late August. 

His solely alternative to showcase his abilities on a championship stage got here eventually yr’s World Baseball Basic. He didn’t disappoint. The WBC MVP posted a 1.345 OPS as a hitter and a 1.86 ERA as a pitcher, hanging out his teammate Mike Trout to clinch the title for Crew Japan.

Whereas he will not be pitching within the playoffs this yr, the 30-year-old sensation ought to lastly get an opportunity to make his mark on MLB’s largest stage. 

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The Dodgers dreamed of the chances this yr when all of Ohtani’s focus and vitality might be positioned into hitting. Nonetheless, even his supervisor could not have imagined that the two-time MVP could be this good, this shortly, in his first yr coming off elbow surgical procedure. 

“We performed towards him, and he was superb, however now, that is the wager,” Roberts stated. “It is like, you are enjoying for a championship-caliber group, you are enjoying for that means each sport in August, September. Going ahead is significant. That is one thing that he signed up for. And so, you’ll be able to count on there to be higher performances, and that is what’s occurring.”

To realize this particular person accomplishment, and have it imply one thing for a Dodgers group attempting to keep up its superiority in a good division race, made Friday night time notably particular for Ohtani.  

“One in all my high memorable moments,” Ohtani stated by way of interpreter Will Ireton, “and I hope that I can do extra and make extra memorable moments.”

There may be loads of time for that, even earlier than October. 

A yr in the past, the Braves‘ Ronald Acuña Jr. crossed the 40/40 mark en path to turning into the primary participant ever with 40 house runs and 70 steals. Whereas that mark is out of attain for Ohtani, the Dodgers slugger has an opportunity to make his personal mark alone within the file books this season. 

No participant has ever recorded a forty five/45 season earlier than. Ohtani, in the meantime, is on tempo for 50 homers and 50 steals. 

“Clearly, the nearer I get to 50/50, the extra I am contributing to the group win,” Ohtani stated. “If that is how it’s, I am comfortable for that.” 

Rowan Kavner is an MLB author for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand lined 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. Observe him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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