Many professional athletes glorify the culture of grinding, that is, the never-ending quest to get better by working on your game incessantly. But as Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani can attest to, there is more to becoming better than just simply getting in the gym or even practicing your craft.
Speaking to reporters before the start of pool play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the Dodgers star made it clear just how much resting matters to him as well.
“Taking rest takes courage and skipping it altogether is another form of practice,” Ohtani said, via Dodgers Nation on X (formerly Twitter).
Early contender for quote of the year from Shohei Ohtani:
“Taking rest takes courage and skipping it altogether is another form of practice.” 🫡
pic.twitter.com/nVKSlE4pam— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) March 5, 2026
This is not to say that everyday should be a rest day. But the body also needs time to recover and won't benefit much from repetitive strenuous activity if it doesn't get the break it needs.
The Dodgers star has spent hundreds of thousands of hours honing his craft, as evidenced by his greatness on the mound and at the plate, but perhaps the millions who aspire to follow in his footsteps could better incorporate the routine of resting on their path to greatness.
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani looks to extend stellar season
Ohtani is coming off a year in which he won the NL MVP award and the World Series title with the Dodgers. It can scarcely get any better than that for the Japanese superstar. But with the WBC approaching, he has a chance to extend his greatness even further to the world stage.
Team Japan is the reigning champion of the WBC, and they are looking to defend their crown against other stacked teams. Team USA and Dominican Republic have so much talent that the WBC can certainly go in any direction. It would help, however, that Japan has the best player on the team at all times in Ohtani.
