Ohtani Eyes MLB Glory Again, Full Speed Ahead into the Postseason

His sights are already set on becoming world champions for the second year in a row

It was a perfectly calculated strike.

In his fourth at-bat of the regular-season finale on September 29 (Japan time), Shohei Ohtani (31) of the Dodgers unleashed his swing on a 95.1 mph (about 153 km/h) fastball thrown by left-hander Gabe Speier (30) of the Mariners. As the crowd at T-Mobile Park erupted in astonishment, the ball — traveling at 109.5 mph (about 176.2 km/h) off the bat — disappeared into the stands beside the center-field screen. It was Ohtani’s 55th home run, breaking his own franchise record.

“It was a flawless shot that perfectly reflected how locked in he’s been this season. His 25th double of the year in the first at-bat and a single in the second both went to right field. Ohtani, who can hit to all fields, was pulling the ball in both at-bats — and with a bit more lift, either could have gone out. For him, that likely meant one thing: he was aiming for a home run in every plate appearance,” said a local reporter.

Though he fell just one home run short of Kyle Schwarber (Phillies, 32), who led the National League with 56, thus missing his third consecutive home run title, sportswriter Nachi Tomonari believes Ohtani’s focus lay elsewhere:

“If he really wanted the home run crown, he would’ve played the full game on the 28th. But Ohtani chose to rest instead — prioritizing his condition for the postseason over personal records.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (53) was equally confident:

“I don’t think he cares about the home run title. He’s definitely winning MVP anyway,” he said with a grin.

Ohtani’s sights are already set on a second straight World Series championship.

“He already has postseason experience as a hitter from last year, so there’s no concern with his batting. What’s untested is his pitching — Ohtani has never pitched in the postseason. But his strikeout rate this year, 11.87 per nine innings, is identical to his 2022 season when he won 15 games.

Plus, he’s effectively using new weapons — his power sinker and curveball. He’s clearly the Dodgers’ No. 1 pitcher. While the team’s bullpen has been shaky at times, if Ohtani’s dominant arm catches fire, the Dodgers could once again rise to the top of Major League Baseball,” Tomonari explained.

Having passed on the home run crown, there’s now only one title Ohtani is after: World Series MVP.

(From FRIDAY magazine, October 17, 2025 issue)