Shohei Ohtani is one day away from beginning his postseason career.
Ohtani never cracked the playoff bracket once over his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. But he led the crosstown Dodgers to the postseason in 2024 by becoming the first player in MLB history to mash 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a single season.
Is Ohtani nervous for the playoffs to begin?
"No," Ohtani said in English on Friday.
#Dodgers Shohei Ohtani
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) October 4, 2024
Q: “Are you nervous at all about playing in the postseason for the first time?”
A (in English without waiting for translation of question): “No”
“It’s always been my childhood dream to be in important situations and play in important games," Ohtani said through a translator. "So I think the excitement of that is greater than anything else I could possibly feel.”
In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani batted .310/.390/.646 with a league-leading 54 home runs and 130 RBIs in 159 games. He became just the 19th player in MLB history (and the first in the last 23 years) to notch over 400 total bases, registering 411.
Ohtani and the Dodgers will square off against right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease and the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday. Ohtani has batted 4-for-15 (.267) over his career against Cease with two homers, two walks and four RBIs.
More of the Latest Around MLB
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Had One-Word Response to Question About Playoff Jitters.