The Los Angeles Dodgers are gearing up for the playoffs, but this year will look a little different—they didn’t secure a top seed. For the first time in a few seasons, the Dodgers will be playing in the opening round. Some playoff teams are frustrated with the Dodgers due to Shohei Ohtani’s unique two-way status, which allows the team to carry an extra pitcher.
“Teams are upset that the Dodgers will have one more pitcher than everyone else on their roster since there’s a special exemption for Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player," USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote. "If Ohtani is a starting pitcher, he can remain in the game as a DH once he’s replaced on the mound.”
While Ohtani is an elite pitcher, he’s also just as dominant at the plate. The superstar capped off the regular season by setting a new Dodgers franchise record.
“Shohei Ohtani just broke his own record by hitting his 29th home run at Dodger Stadium this season. The previous record was the 28 homers he hit in his first year with LA. Shohei Ohtani is putting the finishing touches on another unanimous MVP,” DodgersNation’s Doug McKain wrote.
Following the Dodgers’ final regular-season win on Sunday, manager Dave Roberts issued a warning to the rest of the league about Ohtani’s playoff readiness.
“He’s in and has been in postseason mode,” Roberts told reporters after the Dodgers' 6-1 win over the Mariners. “His September has been fantastic — at-bat quality, you can see it on the mound, he’s got a different look right now.”
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When Ohtani is firing on all cylinders, he’s arguably the most dangerous player in baseball. With his eyes set on back-to-back World Series championships, he’ll do whatever it takes to help the Dodgers win.
Ohtani is expected to pitch either in the wild card round’s win-or-go-home game or start the NLDS opener against the Phillies. But it’s not just his arm or his bat that teams need to prepare for—it’s the full Ohtani experience that opponents will have to find a way to contain.