Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani has wasted no time making his mark on his new team. The Dodgers have already made bobblehead figures of the generational star, and now the city of Los Angeles has immortalized him.
May 17th will now be recognized as “Shohei Ohtani” day in the City of Angels for as long as he plays there, via the Dodgers' X account.
The Japanese international was honored at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday before the Dodgers' home tilt against the Cincinnati Reds. Several members of the organization were in attendance, including manager Dave Roberts. Ohtani was thankful for the recognition, via the Associated Press.
“Thank you very much to the L.A. City Council,” said Ohtani. “I appreciate you recognizing me on this day. I want to thank the Dodger organization as well and all the fans.”
The 29-year-old deserves the praise, as he's slashing .362/.430/.669 with 13 homers and 32 RBI. Ohtani's batting average tops the league, while he's tied for first in long balls.
His greatness has not been lost on team President and CEO Stan Kasten.
“Simply put, Shohei has become part of the fabric of Los Angeles,” he said. “Since becoming a member of the Dodger family in December, Shohei has been everything we’ve hoped for and more. We are grateful for his accomplishments on the field, his warmth in the clubhouse and his character in all respects – and we congratulate him on this well-deserved honor.”
Let's take a look at some of the two-way superstar's other accomplishments.
Ohtani has completely changed the game with both the Angels and Dodgers
Ohtani has been historically good since starting his MLB career in 2018, when he won the AL Rookie of the Year award. He's the first player since Babe Ruth to excel both on the mound and at the plate regularly.
In 86 starts, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound phenom is 38-19 with a 3.01 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 481.2 innings. He also has 608 strikeouts and 173 walks, good for a 3.5 K/BB ratio. For reference, Cy Young Award-winners usually hover around the 4.00 range, so that's an excellent ratio to be at over a long-term span.
However, Ohtani went down with an elbow injury last season, forcing him to get Tommy John surgery. He won't be able to pitch until next season as a result.
Luckily for the Dodgers, he's also one of the best hitters the game has ever seen. Ohtani is a two-time AL MVP and Silver Slugger, as well as a two-time Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter award-winner. He sports a .260/.370/.564 career slash line, with 184 homers and 469 RBI. The power hitter's home run total is already the most hit by a Japanese player in MLB history.
However, the one accolade Ohtani's missing is the most important one: a World Series championship. He did win a World Baseball Classic title with Team Japan in 2023, winning tournament MVP and All-Tournament honors in the process. However, his bid to be the greatest baseball player of all time won't be complete until he wins multiple rings at the club level.
