No matter the stage or the stakes. Shohei Ohtani will deliver either way. With the Los Angeles Dodgers gearing up for the season in Tokyo, the pressure is at an all-time high. For Ohtani, though, it’s just another opportunity to shine. While the Dodgers are all set for their highly anticipated Tokyo Series, former Miami Marlins president David Samson has a strong take on Ohtani.
During his podcast Nothing Personal with David Samson, he emphasized Ohtani’s two-way ability to stay unshaken. He stated, “The Dodgers are countering Shohei Ohtani, who doesn’t feel the pressure that you may think he feels.” While all the eyes are already on him, this claim was considerably bold.
Samson’s statements carry an air of certainty about Ohtani’s at-bat performance. He predicted saying, “He’s going to get a base knock; he may even go deep.” This suggests that Ohtani’s offensive prowess would be a complete showcase. Ohtani has a proven record of delivering when it matters the most, especially on the biggest stages. It’s easy to believe that Samson might actually be into something.
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Interestingly, Shohei Ohtani isn’t the only Dodger’s ace making waves. Samson also highlighted Yoshinobu Yamamoto during the podcast, saying, “The fact of the matter is Yamamoto as a starting pitcher is ready to give you five innings right now. The Dodgers bullpen is ready to go.” The sheer confidence in Yamamoto and the bullpen underscores the Dodgers’ depth as they gear up for the season.
As far as we can predict right now, the Dodgers are now ready to make an early-season statement in Tokyo. Expect Ohtani to do what he’s best at—rising and shining, even under the pool of expectations.
Shohei Ohtani doesn’t just hit usual home runs, he redefines how they’re hit. Most of the sluggers attempt to make contact out in front of the plate for maximum power, but Ohtani has a whole different approach. He has a way of letting the ball travel deep. Right after that, with his remarkable bat speed, he sends it skyrocketing to each part of the ballpark.
An average MLB hitter creates contact 2.4 inches in front of home plate, but Ohtani? He connects 3.7 inches behind it. Looking at his last season, while Paul Skenes fired a 100.1 mph fastball, Ohtani still sent it 415 feet to center. When he was against lefty A.J. Minter, he turned an inside-out swing into a 464-foot rocket.
Many call it his unique hitting style. But it’s more of his superpower. He can read pitches longer, adjust better, and is able to construct some of the fastest bat speeds in the league. It’s his s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s, which set him apart from other elite sluggers like Aaron Judge, Freddie Freeman, and Juan Soto. While they all also excel at all-field power, Ohtani’s contact point is even deeper, and his results need no further words.
As he is all set to kick off the 2025 season with the Dodgers, it’s a sure thing that he’s just playing the game differently, and mostly winning at it.
