Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Dodgers career did not begin the way he wanted. Ohtani performed well on the field, but it was revealed that his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole money from him for gambling purposes. The two-way phenom still managed to maintain his focus and play at an MVP-level on the field. On Monday, Ohtani was asked how the off-the-field controversy impacted him, per SNY.
“The thing that affected me the most was just being able to sleep well,” Ohtani said via his new translator. “Now that I've been able to do that, I also came to realize that how I feel off the field mentality shouldn't affect my abilities. I have confidence in my own ability that I could be able to still play without being affected by anything that happens off the field.”
Ohtani has not discussed the situation much. He's preferred to place his focus on baseball. He answered the question honestly, though, admitting that he had trouble sleeping during the height of the controversy.
The fact that Ohtani was still able to play at a high level was impressive. Not only was there drama surrounding him, but Mizuhara was one of Ohtani's best friends.
Shohei Ohtani playing at MVP-level
The 29-year-old has already won two MVP awards in his career. Yet, both of those awards came as a hitter and pitcher. In 2024, Ohtani is only hitting but he still may win the award.
Shohei is currently slashing .336/.403/.621/1.024 across 53 games played. His batting averaging, slugging, and OPS lead the league. Ohtani also has an OPS-plus of 188, which is also the best mark in the league.
Ohtani has hit 13 home runs and 17 doubles as well. Additionally, he has driven in 35 runs and stolen 13 bases. It's almost as if strictly focusing on hitting as opposed to hitting and pitching has helped Ohtani elevate his offensive game.
Of course, he's impressed at the plate in recent years as well. But Shohei Ohtani may be on the verge of his best offensive season yet. And his performance has helped the Dodgers start strong as well.
Dodgers look like World Series contenders
LA has enjoyed no shortage of regular season success over the past decade. However, they have only one World Series championship during that span.
In 2024, Los Angeles looks like a World Series contender. Anything can happen in the playoffs, of course. Still, it would not be surprising to see LA take the next step forward in the postseason with Ohtani on the roster.
LA currently holds a comfortable 5.5 game lead in the National League West over the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. The Dodgers, who are 33-22, are the only team in the division with a record of over .500 as of this story's writing.
Barring a complete collapse, Los Angeles should have no trouble winning the division. Teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves may give the Dodgers trouble in the playoffs, though.
With that being said, the team will continue to focus on taking care of business during the regular season for now. And Shohei Ohtani can keep building his case for his third MVP award.
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