![\"Los](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/05\/00\/wire-90478931-1728085030-537_634x422.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLos Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani speaks to reporters in a press conference in preparation for Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ashley Landis)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ohtani has proven he can change a game with his bat or his foot speed. If he draws a walk, he can steal a base (he had 59 in the regular season). He can smash home runs (54) or score from first.<\/p>\n
“He has shown the ability in this last month to use the whole field, to get a hit if he needs to,” Roberts said. “A crazy talented ball player.”<\/p>\n
Ohtani prepared for the best-of-five NLDS by hitting in some simulated games during the Dodgers’ five days off – their reward for having baseball’s best record at 98-64.<\/p>\n
“I’m doing the best I can to make sure that my first at-bat is really good,” he said. “This week we did spend time just to make sure that we were taking care of our body with the accumulation of the season, and I think we were able to get some of the kinks out of the way.”<\/p>\n
Ohtani signed a record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers in December. He didn’t pitch this season while rehabbing from a second elbow surgery he had a year ago. That allowed him to focus on his offense, and he exploded, becoming\u00a0baseball’s first player with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases\u00a0in a season.<\/p>\n
Early in the season, Ohtani admits his strong desire to fit in with his new team affected his hitting.<\/p>\n
“Overall, the second half of the regular season, if I look back at it, it\u00b4s been pretty good overall,” he said. “I\u00b4m just focused on remembering those good feelings that I have when I\u00b4m playing well. And the plan is to make sure that I do have those feelings going to the plate this postseason.”<\/p>\n
![\"Los](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/05\/00\/wire-90478933-1728085030-503_634x422.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLos Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani speaks to reporters in a press conference in preparation for Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ashley Landis)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Los](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/05\/00\/wire-90478935-1728085031-896_634x422.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLos Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, left, speaks to reporters with his interpreter, Will Ireton, in a press conference in preparation for Game 1 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo\/Ashley Landis)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Los](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2024\/10\/05\/00\/wire-90478937-1728085031-187_634x422.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLos Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani follows the flight of his single off Colorado Rockies pitcher Seth Halvorsen in the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Shohei Ohtani\u00a0is about to realize his childhood dream of playing in important games. There\u00b4s nothing bigger than the Major League Baseball playoffs. And the Japanese superstar isn\u00b4t… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n