When discussing baseball’s best today, one name looms large—Shohei Ohtani. A player not from America’s grounds, but Japan who made it big here. Last season was monumental for him. He joined the Los Angeles Dodgers with a jaw-dropping $700 million deal. A number many thought was excessive. But Ohtani didn’t take time to prove why he was well worth it. The Japanese player smashed down records by baseball legends like falling dominoes.

He joined the 50-50 club, got the MVP, and is now also going to be a father. For the Dodgers, he managed to convince even Roki Sasaki to join the club. Plus, all that money the franchise spent on him, they earned it right back due to all the sponsorships and, of course, Ohtani’s gameplay. He has been a blessing for the Dodgers. But Ohtani in Dodger Blue seems inevitable, right? A player of his caliber on one of baseball’s most dominant teams feels like a match that should have happened long ago. Here is the thing—it almost did. Twice!

The reason behind Shohei Ohtani saying YES to Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani first had the chance to join the Dodgers straight out of high school. That would have meant starting his career in the minors. But he held out, and later in 2017, he decided to jump into MLB. The Dodgers were interested again. But even then, Shohei Ohtani had rejected them. The reason? He revealed in an exclusive interview that at the time, the National League didn’t have a designated hitter, which meant his two-way play would have been limited. So he chose Angels instead. But what changed? Why did he finally sign with the Dodgers?

For Shohei Ohtani, it wasn’t just about the team but timing too. He admitted in a recent interview that while the Dodgers are the same team, the organization felt different before. Ohtani said in the exclusive interview, “The Dodgers are the same team, but I think the internal situation and the people in charge have changed since I graduated from high school. So, it feels like a different team now.” But since then, it’s not that only the Dodgers have evolved; even Ohtani did too.

In 2018, he wasn’t sure whether he could pitch and hit at the top level. Los Angeles Angels was the best place where he thought he could figure it out. “When I thought about where I should go to start my career as a major leaguer and find the right environment for that, the Angels felt like the right choice at that time. For me, it’s not that the Dodgers changed, but rather that my feeling in 2017 matched the Angels, and this time it matched the Dodgers.” Plus, there is a factor of respect. Shohei, in his interview, mentioned that despite him turning down the Los Angeles Dodgers twice, they never stopped valuing him. “It’s hard to put into words, but if I had to express it, I never felt they were saying, ‘We’re a prestigious team.’ So, when it came time to make my decision, I think I felt something in my heart,” said Shohei Ohtani. Heart sure does triumph all!

Dodgers ready for full Sho-time

Shohei Ohtani’s first season with the LA Dodgers was nothing short of historic. But while he dominated as a designated hitter in 2024, the Dodgers are now ready for the full Sho-time experience next season. But interestingly, the team has no plans to send their star player through a rehab assignment. Which is something most players have to go through after a long injury layoff. Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes made it clear why it won’t happen. “He can’t just go out on a rehab assignment. We would lose our DH,” said Gomes. Different rules, but a different player too!

Gomes was at the New York Post’s “The Show” podcast, and even there he expressed how impressed he was with Shohei. And mostly with his approach to the game and base running. “Like, Shohei’s obviously fast, but he’s not the fastest guy in the big leagues. He’s putting in the homework, understanding the times to run, picking and choosing his spots, and making sure it’s balanced out with the game situation. His routine and how dialed in he is on that is a whole other level than what anybody could have expected.”

That level of prep is exactly what cuts Ohtani out from the rest. Also raises the expectations from him. He won the MVP award while playing in half capacity. Now imagine when he is fully unleashed this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers already stacked team.

Are you excited to see what goes down? Let us know!