Whenever Shohei Ohtani swings his bat to take home the victory, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts never shies away from praising the Japanese for his “game-changing stuff.” Ohtani’s impact is evident, and as Roberts defines it, Shotime’s impact brings a ‘type of optimism‘ to the team. And now, when the three-time MVP award winner adds one more career accolade to his already impressive resume, Dave Roberts again took a moment to commend the pitcher.

The Japanese superstar concludes the year 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time. After overcoming a shoulder injury, followed by arthroscopic surgery, Ohtani ended this year on a rather positive note. Now, while the 30-year-old is looking forward to more milestones in 2025, Dave Roberts is already certain about Ohtani’s winning chances.

While expressing his encomium for Ohtani in an interview with the Associated Press, Dave Roberts stated “It’s almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent.” Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title. On this, the Dodgers manager further mentioned, “I’m just excited to see what ’25 has for Shohei Ohtani.”

Shohei Ohtani had a 50-50 season with 50+ home runs and 50+ steals, which is simply outstanding. Considering that, he has come from a major shoulder injury. Following the injury, things were not fine for Shohei Ohtani. However, he managed to create his own presence by producing one of the best regular seasons in MLB history. He became the only player to have at least 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases despite his struggles for the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

He is currently the only one in the history of MLB games to achieve this feat. So, the next year, Ohtani will be much better, and that’s what Dave has been speculating.

Dave Roberts praises for Shohei Ohtani for his persona outside of the Diamond

Shohei Ohtani’s return to the game has been nothing short of extraordinary. His hard work paid off and he wishes to continue his good form and get the award again. Previously, he won the MVP award in 2021 and 2023 while playing for the Angels. After that, he signed a 10-year $700 million contract with the Dodgers, where he improved his reputation even further. Despite not pitching the entire season, he still went strong on offense, ensuring that every at-bat moment was extraordinary. 

But, every time Ohtani swings his bat to stand atop the podium, he makes sure to recieve his victory in the most humble way. “I just go out there and try to stay within myself,” he said. “I can only control what I can control and that’s where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they’re going to make the plays for you. I don’t really try to overthink it.”

Highlighting Ohtani’s considerate persona, Dave Roberts further added, “I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he’s a much better person. He’s very kind, considerate, he cares.” “I’m just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way.”   

Shohei Ohtani is continuing his dream run, going 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, and a total of 17 bases against the Miami Marlins in Florida. It is very likely that he will get the next MVP award, as he will have no pain after the surgery at preset. He is yet to have a full range of motion, however, he is quite hopeful that his small steps can help to achieve the ultimate goal of getting back healthy again. Ohtani is currently throwing in the range of 70mph, which is typical for the pitchers this offseason. Having a lot of expectations from him, the Dodgers surely would like to take time for him to recover and get back to the game with full fitness.

The fans are quite excited to see Shohei Ohtani play at the Dodger Stadium. Many of them even paid extra to watch the pre-game batting practice sessions, while others bought Ohtani-branded merchandise including his jersey number 17. However, his dog Decoy plays a major role in his success, as Ohtani believed that his companionship made him strong on and off the field. He will be eyeing a repeat World Series Title by returning as a pitcher, this time without any injury. What’s your take on Ohtani’s upcoming season? Do share your comment below.