When it comes to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, the team only goes as far as Shohei Ohtani.
One of the absolute best offensive players in the game, who can hit for power, hit for average, get on base often, and even make opposing teams pay as a certified steal specialist, Ohtani has consistently found ways to help the Dodgers win at the plate, especially in the playoffs, when each at-bat matters just a little bit more.
But what happens to Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, when the playoff lights start to glow just a bit brighter? Will he remain a fixture of Dave Roberts' starting lineup, or will he instead transition to the bench, where the Dodgers could use another high-leverage arm who can go more than an inning when it's really needed?
Discussing that very question with reporters before the Dodgers series against the Phillies, Roberts noted that while he's happy with Ohtani in the starting lineup now, he is open to exploring a bullpen role in the future, as that very role change was already tested by Japan in the World Baseball Classic to good results.
“I think ideally, how we run things, we like to give a run of show for certain things, roles, before you do it in the postseason,” Roberts said via Dodgers Nation. “But he has done it before in the (World Baseball) Classic… In the postseason, there's a lot of things that happen that are unforeseen.”
As things presently stand, the Dodgers have six starting pitchers, with a seventh, Roki Sasaki, likely to return to the team before the month is over. With four at most starting spots available in the postseason and the trio of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow more or less locked into the rotation, Ohtani will be competing with Sasaki, Emmett Sheehan, and Clayton Kershaw for that final spot, with the future Hall of Famer the favorite to earn the nod.
Would it be cool to see Ohtani start a World Series game and then hit leadoff? Most certainly, but even if he's only used as a reliever, that doesn't limit his effectiveness, as Ohtani has already appeared in multiple games with only a few innings pitched, and has earned a longer leash because he's earned it, not because of an obligation. What could keep Ohtani in the starting lineup is the MLB's current two-way rule, which only allows starting pitchers to stay in games as a DH when they leave the mound, not relievers.
