Shohei Ohtani says he feels like a rookie again with Dodgers،
GLENDALE, Ariz. – About 70 members of the media formed a semi-circle around a small backdrop at the Los Angeles Dodgers headquarters Friday morning, waiting for Shohei Ohtani to conduct his first press session. A dozen of them had shown up a few hours earlier, before the sun had fully risen, just to catch a glimpse of him entering the players' parking lot.
Ohtani's seriousness has been evident through the first two days of spring training, but he's just trying to act like the new kid on the block. After six years with the Los Angeles Angels, their crosstown rival, he considers himself a “rookie” again.
“I like to come up and say hello, introduce myself,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. “But there are so many people that I have to make sure I don't show up twice. If I do, I hope they drop it.”
Ohtani said he's close to hitting full intensity and will soon start hitting quickly, a sign he remains on track to become the Dodgers' designated hitter when the team opens its season in South Korea on March 20. preparing as a hitter while rehabilitating from elbow surgery as a pitcher, noting that he had already gone through this process before the 2021 season. He believes it will be “easier the second time around.”
The dedication and discipline that allowed Ohtani to flourish as a two-way player from 2021-2023 already stands out. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remarked on how “intentional” and “regimented” Ohtani was in his work, adding that “every minute that goes by counts,” leaving little for small talk. Other players, Roberts said, made it a point to observe him.
“I don't think I've ever seen someone so meticulous in their work, every single rep,” said Dodgers infielder Chris Taylor, among the small group of players gathered at Dodger Stadium for training sessions. practice preceding the start of spring training. , alongside Ohtani, Gavin Lux and Walker Buehler, among others.
“Obviously we knew his work ethic was top-notch,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, “but to see how deliberate everything he does is, our coaching staff said he's never seen a guy come back from surgery who is so intentional about every thing they do, every swing he takes. Most guys get in the cage and they just swing without thinking. He does his entire pre-pitch routine before every swing. How intentional every single thing he does is, whether it's in the weight room, in the cage, on the field, you can't tell not really appreciate it fully until you see it.”
Ohtani was diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right (pitcher) elbow three months into his major league career in 2018 and did not become a full-time two-way player until early of its fourth season. . From 2021 to 2023, Ohtani won two unanimous MVPs — he would have had a third if not for Aaron Judge's record-breaking home run season in 2022 — and racked up 26.5 FanGraphs wins above replacement, well more than anyone else.
On Friday, Roberts confirmed what has long been obvious: that Ohtani, who underwent a hybrid version of a second Tommy John surgery in September, was not an option to pitch anytime in 2024. He believes that having him like Dodger will. nevertheless “raise the bar” for the whole team, even if Ohtani only half fulfills his duties.
“There's just a great sense of humility and kindness,” Roberts said of Ohtani, “but there's this lion in there. You see it. And that, to me, is the perfect combo.”
Roberts spoke to a DodgerFest audience last Saturday about his intention to have Mookie Betts first, Freddie Freeman second and Ohtani third when the games start counting, but he warned Friday that he was simply throwing that lineup out as a “drill.” to rate fans. feeling. He wants to have a conversation with all three of them before consolidating the top three spots.
Ohtani improved significantly as a hitter from 2022 to 2023, with his OPS increasing from .875 to a major league-leading 1.066. The Angels believed that juggling a two-way role actually helped him offensively, largely because he didn't have time to dwell on negative results. But perhaps focusing exclusively as a DH again — while residing in a higher lineup and with far more experience than when he last took on that role exclusively in 2019 — will elevate his game even further offensive.
“I feel like there’s not just one level but multiple levels on offense,” Ohtani said. “It'll just depend on what kind of lineup I'm in and everything else. But in the end, my goal will be the same: stay focused on my hitting and try to improve.”
