Shohei Ohtani is dominating the league right now, breaking boundaries and etching his name in the history books. He made the headlines when he reached the legendary 40-40 club like it was a piece of cake for him. Not just that, he even inaugurated the 50-50 club, where he alone stands. However, while his performance has been great, it hasn’t always been without hiccups. Because at the beginning Ohtani had a glaring issue, he couldn’t deliver when it came to RISP.

Now the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Ohtani with a head-churning amount. And given that, even the smallest mistakes or errors were highlighted the most. So the Japanese star’s errors were on full display. However, he turned the tables and how, shutting down all critics and he did it all while recovering from an injury. Bravo! Recently, Decoy’s dad’s explanations of what exactly went wrong with RISP in the first place came to light, and it explains the ‘why’ perfectly.

Shohei Ohtani opens up about early-season struggles

In a recent video from Foul Territory, the announcer revealed that Shohei Ohtani had come forth to explain to his hitting coaches why he struggled with the runners in scoring position (RISP) early this season. The Dodgers star admitted that during his time playing with the Dodgers, he was led to believe that he was his team’s only opportunity to score. “I find myself anytime the bases are loaded, or there a runner in scoring position, trying too hard. Because I am trained to feel like this is going to be our only shot,” said Ohtani to his coaches. The Japanese star said he had to rewire himself once when he came to the Dodgers. And know that he doesn’t always have to be the hero, not in his new team.

And one can’t blame Shohei Ohtani—he was with the Angels for six long years. His then team failed to win more than 80 games, even after having a player like Ohtani. They weren’t able to give Ohtani the chance to chase a wild card spot, let alone a World Series championship. The reason? The burden of expectation rested squarely on Ohtani’s shoulders—he was the team’s go-to player, the one they relied on to deliver. No wonder Ohtani brought the pressure with him to the Dodgers, and it showed.

But once on his new team, the LA Dodgers, Ohtani had to broaden his perspective. He had a team full of talented players like Mookie Betts and Freeman who could take charge when he didn’t. So Ohtani started releasing the stressors, and the 50+ home runs and steals that we see, are all possible not only because of Ohtani but because he pivoted and because his team supported him. Now, after the Los Angeles Dodgers won over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night 4-3, they are just one win away from clinching the NL West title. 

Shohei Ohtani’s history goes beyond just 50-50

Shohei Ohtani has reached unprecedented heights this season. First, we cannot forget the staggering $700 million contract he signed with the Dodgers—a never seen before amount. Secondly, even after going through a recovery, he decided to play and not just play—but break all baseball records and redefine the expectations from him.

In August, Shohei became the sixth player in the history of MLB to reach the 40-40 club. He joined the legends like Jose Canseco and Barry Bonds at the club. But what’s striking is the fact that Ohtani did it in record time, plus his 40th home run was a memorable walk-off grand slam. Then Ohtani matched Alex Rodriguez’s record of 42 homers and surpassed it just two days later. His next milestone came on September 19 and was straight out of a movie.

On that day, everyone thought—when is Ohtani going to hit his 50th? Little did they see what was coming! Ohtani managed to reach 50-50, actually 51-51, and he did it in style. He went for a  6-for-6 outing with three homers, two stolen bases, two doubles, four runs, and ten RBIs—the first three-homer, two-steal game in MLB history. But he didn’t stop there as he added two more homers and stole four steals in the weekend series with the Colorado Rockies. He is tied with his icon Ichiro Suzuki for the most stolen bases by a Japanese-born player in a single season.

By now, everyone is questioning if even 55-55 is too little a feat for the Japanese star. After all his stats now sits at 53 home runs and 56 stolen bases. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.