Shohei Ohtani, a one-way player for the foreseeable future, gives up on a dream ... for now
PHILADELPHIA — Very rarely does Shohei Ohtani set a goal and fail to achieve it. Most baseball mountains he summits with awe-inspiring aplomb. Take, for instance, that ambitious list of goals he drew up for himself in high school.
This dynamic has grown only truer since Ohtani signed with the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season. In the two years since: two MVPs and two World Series titles. Came, saw, conquered. Along the way, Ohtani delivered the greatest single-game performance in MLB history with that three-homer, six-scoreless-inning mastery in the 2025 NLCS Game 4.
But his 2026 campaign came with a tantalizing side quest, one that, as far as anybody could reasonably tell, meant a great deal to Ohtani. Entering the season fully healthy and built up on the mound for the first time as a Dodger, the two-way machine could finally operate at full capacity as a pitcher. That provided an opportunity for the global megastar to pursue the only major accolade he has yet to attain.
That entire story is yet another reminder of Ohtani's uniqueness.
Most other baseball players are locked in the familiar battles of man versus man and, when it rains, man versus nature. Ohtani, however, is more often battling the person in the mirror. Man versus self. Ohtani versus Ohtani. He has repeatedly redefined the boundaries of baseball, leaving himself as the only truly worthy opponent.
Source: Yahoo Sports →