LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani rounded off a memorable week in the city with his first game-ending hit since joining the illustrious franchise earlier this year.
Ohtani broke his maiden with a walk-off hit for the Dodgers to secure a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, his first in the MLB in almost four years.
The 29-year-old, who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers following the conclusion of the 2023 season, is widely regarded as one of baseball’s greatest ever talents.
Earlier that week on Thursday, Ohtani had his first bobblehead night as a Dodger and one day later the Japanese icon was recognized by the Los Angeles City Council – who announced that May 17 will he Shohei Ohtani Day in L.A. County for at least the next ten years.
Since entering the major league in 2018, Ohtani has won two unanimous American League MVP awards – alongside being named to four All-MLB first teams and three All-Star teams.
Shohei Ohtani’s first walk-off as a Dodger! pic.twitter.com/8mhxHkJF3Q
— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2024
“I was looking to just put the ball in play, so I’m glad it worked out well,” Ohtani said. “We dropped the first game of the series, so we really wanted to finish strong.”
“Overall, [it was a] special weekend. I wasn’t able to get a base hit during my bobblehead day, but I was able to end it on a very good note.”
The Dodgers are considered strong favorites to win the World Series in 2024 and Ohtani is in the running to win National League MVP, though he has a bit of ground to make up with teammate Mookie Betts in the race.
Through the first 47 games of the campaign, Ohtani leads his team in almost every offensive statistic and his two-way ability in hitting and pitching makes him the hottest ticket in the country.
