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While Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has put together a historic regular season, he is about to enter unchartered waters. As Ohtani prepares for the next phase of his MLB career, manager Dave Roberts offered some words of advice.
In his seventh major-league season, Ohtani will finally experience playoff baseball. While exciting, Roberts cautioned that it's an entirely different ballgame, via Andy McCullough of The Athletic.
“It's going to really test his patience and discipline,” Roberts said. “Knowing that he's waited his entire life, essentially, to be in major-league postseason. It's going to be fascinating to watch.”
Roberts broke down to scenarios he sees Ohtani finding himself in. The first he compared to Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger during the 2017 World Series. There, both players were overeager and outdueled by the Houston Astros.
Scenario two also involved Seager, but during the 2020 World Series. Roberts said he was much more composed and selective at the plate, earning his first of two World Series MVPs.
“My hope for Ohtani,” Roberts said when discussing which path he would go down,” is certainly the latter.”
While playoff jitters might creep up, Roberts knows exactly what he has in Ohtani. When he steps in the box, there is none better, making the slugger a serious playoff threat.
“He's the best hitter on the planet,” Roberts said. “In the postseason, people are going to take their chances with the guys behind them – even if it's Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.”
Roberts knows teams will be game-planning for Ohtani. His own plan involves giving the likely MVP an “answer key,” on how to handle the strategy. The playoffs will present a brand-new challenge for Shohei Ohtani but not one Dave Roberts doesn't think he can handle.
Shohei Ohtani ready for playoff domination
Each game will be different. Each at-bat will be viewed under a microscope as opposing pitchers try to find Ohtani's weakness. But based on his performance during the regular season, even a lab of scientists would have a hard time figuring out Ohtani.
He is hitting .301 with 53 home runs, 123 RBIs and 55 stolen bases. Both his home runs and RBIs lead the National League, while his 128 runs scored lead all of baseball.
Working in Ohtani's favor is the lineup he has around him. With the aforementioned Betts and Freeman, Ohtani is protected by potent hitting. If the opposing team decides to intentionally walk Ohtani, they'll have another scary threat at the plate. If they do pitch to Ohtani – and the ball doesn't go over the fence – he'll have fellow sluggers ready to drive him in.
But all eyes will be on Shohei in his first playoff appearance. He will be expected to carry over his success from the regular season and lead the Dodgers to the World Series. It could be intimidating with all the bright lights flashing on you. While Ohtani has dealt with that all season, Roberts knows the playoffs are a different beast.
