Shohei Ohtani: Unmatched in September! This Year’s Finale: “World Champion & World Series MVP”

A dream come true! What’s next?

The long-awaited “dream story” for baseball fans worldwide may just be a stepping stone for the man who made it a reality.

On September 19 (local time), Shohei Ohtani (30) became the first member of the “50-50 Club.”

“Even the ’40-40′ club has only five members besides Ohtani, so this is a monumental record. Achieving ’50-50′ was a dream beyond a dream. Nevertheless, Ohtani accomplished it with nine games remaining. Manager Dave Roberts praised him, saying, ‘He’s not even human'” (local newspaper reporter).

As seen in his performance in 2021, where he produced home runs at a high pace until August, and his struggles due to injuries that caused him to miss part of last season, Ohtani has tended to struggle significantly in the latter part of the season. However, this year, he peaked in September. Sports writer Nacchi Tomonari notes, “There are two reasons for this.”

“Ohtani prioritizes the team over records, so when key player Mookie Betts (31) was injured, he focused more on getting on base. However, now that Betts has returned to the team, Ohtani has reverted to his natural aggressive batting style from the first pitch. His ability to hit sliders and sinkers has also improved significantly. Perhaps due to swinging a heavy cricket bat for practice, the trajectory of his bat has become slightly lower, allowing him to connect perfectly with breaking balls. In September, Ohtani has hit over .500 against sinkers.”

Having achieved this monumental feat, Ohtani now has a strong chance of becoming the second player in Major League history to win the MVP award in both leagues. His next targets are his long-held dreams of becoming a world champion and winning the World Series MVP.

“Ohtani is likely to be assigned as the leadoff hitter in the postseason. Therefore, expectations are high for him to break the record for most leadoff home runs in postseason history. If he can achieve that, he should be in contention for the MVP as well. The concern is with the pitching staff, as key starters Gavin Stone (25), Clayton Kershaw (36), and Tyler Glasnow (31) have all been sidelined, making postseason participation bleak. How well they can hit will be key to their quest for the championship” (same source).

This will be Ohtani’s first postseason. Is it possible for him to rise to the top in this uncharted territory?

“He truly shines on the big stage. In his first participation in the previous WBC, he led Japan to victory and was named tournament MVP. Ohtani is a player who enjoys high-pressure games and delivers results” (previous reporter).

With his bat, he is sure to pave the way for a challenging journey toward becoming a world champion.

From the October 11, 2024 issue of FRIDAY