Those who thought Shohei Ohtani might need some time to shake off the rust after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery were treated to a nice surprise on Friday. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar mashed a home run in his first spring training at-bat of the year, launching a 94 mph fastball from Los Angeles Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi way over the left field fence.
It is only an exhibition game obviously, but the three-time MVP looks like he is in rhythm. The monster blast is reminiscent of the homer Ohtani hit in his 2024 spring debut. Dodgers fans would be ecstatic if he is about to thrust them into the most thrilling bout of deja vu ever. They are already going bonkers for Shotime.
“Is Shohei…the goat already,” @officialeague boldly pondered on X. “I think I’ve seen this film before,” @AtTravisMiller commented. He’s a machine,” @THEEJoeMess remarked. “Like he’s not a human. I’m not kidding.”
Shohei Ohtani’s first at-bat of #SpringTraining …
Shohei Ohtani’s first HOME RUN of Spring Training! pic.twitter.com/k1fScI5BrD
— MLB (@MLB) March 1, 2025
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers look to create another magical season
Ohtani ventured into uncharted territory in his first season in blue, becoming the founding member of the 50-homer, 50-stolen base club en route to his first NL MVP crown. In addition to the 54 dingers and 59 stolen bags, he batted .310 with 130 RBIs, 197 hits and 134 runs scored. Ohtani also posted a sensational .390 on-base percentage, .646 slugging percentage and 1.036 OPS.
Although the 30-year-old was not his stellar self overall in the playoffs, he crushed the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series and ultimately won a title with the Dodgers in October. A dislocated shoulder prevented him from getting the World Series experience he envisioned, but maybe Shohei Ohtani will get a do-over in 2025.
He should not look too far ahead, though. The Japanese native is preparing to pitch again after undergoing elbow surgery in 2023, which will entail supreme concentration. Ohtani has thrived in the dual role before, but challenges surely await him after a long hiatus from the mound.
Though, no one should underestimate this unprecedented talent at this point. While Dodgers fans are excited for the regular season to begin, an Ohtani spring training bomb should hold them over until the team faces the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series on March 18.
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