Shohei Ohtani is about to give the Los Angeles Dodgers something they have never had before, a true two-way star stepping onto the mound in the MLB postseason. The Wild Card Series against the Reds is the stage, and Ohtani is expected to pitch Game 3 if it becomes necessary. For the Dodgers, the move fuels a round of comparisons to Babe Ruth that always follow Ohtani when he takes on roles from both sides of the game. This time, though, the conversation carries October weight.
The Dodgers mapped out their rotation carefully. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Ohtani form a trio that could anchor the run to another championship. Each was dominant in September. Snell carried a 2.25 ERA, Yamamoto posted a 0.67 mark, and Ohtani allowed no runs in his late-season outings. Those numbers explain why many see Los Angeles as the strongest pitching club in the postseason. The challenge is whether that strength extends deep enough into the bullpen.
Manager Dave Roberts has options. Tyler Glasnow, signed as a starter, now profiles as a multi-inning reliever in October. The same goes for Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan, both of whom gained experience in the rotation but now shift into flexible roles. Even Clayton Kershaw may appear in relief as the Dodgers chase their repeat bid, but not in the Wild Card Series. That strategy matters because the regular-season bullpen showed too many cracks. Roberts knows that if the starters dominate, the pressure on Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, and others will ease.
The larger focus, however, rests on Ohtani. His 2.87 ERA and sharp strikeout-to-walk ratio over 47 innings prove he is more than capable on the mound. But the MLB postseason has a way of rewriting reputations. Babe Ruth carved his name into history more than a century ago by holding a 0.87 ERA across two World Series for the Red Sox. Ohtani will now face the same opportunity: to pitch, to hit, and to lead a Dodgers team carrying sky-high expectations. The comparison is not a gimmick anymore. It is real, and October will decide how far it goes.
Can Shohei Ohtani chase legend under baseball’s brightest lights?
