Shohei Ohtani is about to realize his childhood dream of playing in big games. There’s nothing bigger than the Major League Baseball playoffs.
And the big Japanese star is not nervous.
“I think the excitement of this is greater than anything I could ever feel,” he said through an interpreter Friday.
Ohtani gets his first chance at the playoffs with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who open their National League Division Series Saturday against the West-division rival San Diego Padres.
The Japanese spent the last six years with the Los Angeles Angels, who never played above .500 or made the playoffs during that span.
Fans on both sides of the Pacific are eager to see what the 30-year-old will be able to accomplish in October.
“I think it’s more us as fans that see this as something new for him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “If there’s anybody that I think is going to be able to handle this, it’s definitely Shohei.”
Ohtani has proven this season that he can change a game with his bat or his speed. If he gets a walk, he can steal a base (he had 59 in the regular season). And he can also hit home runs (54) or cross the plate from first base.
“He’s shown the ability over the last month to use the whole field, to get a hit if he needs one,” Roberts said. “He’s an incredibly talented baseball player.”
Ohtani prepared for the best-of-five series by hitting in a few simulated games during the Dodgers’ five days off — their reward for having the best record in major league baseball (98-64).
“I’m trying my best to make sure my first at-bat is really good,” he admitted. “This week we took the time to make sure we took care of our bodies and I think we were able to eliminate some of the issues.”
Ohtani signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December. He has not pitched this season after undergoing a second elbow surgery a year ago. That allowed him to focus on his offense, becoming the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.
Early in the campaign, Ohtani admitted that his strong desire to fit in with his new team had negatively impacted his at-bats.
“Overall, the second half of the regular season was pretty good,” he said. “I’m just focusing on those good feelings I get when I’m playing well. And the plan is to make sure I have those feelings when I go to bat in the playoffs.”
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