In the storied history of the MLB, few seasons have captured the imaginations of fans like Shohei Ohtani‘s 2024 campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While UCL surgery may have temporarily silenced his pitching arsenal, Ohtani responded by orchestrating perhaps the most remarkable offensive season in baseball’s modern era — one that culminated in his third Most Valuable Player award, an achievement as unprecedented as the player himself.
A Season of Individual Brilliance
The numbers tell a story that future generations of fans might mistake for fiction. Even as he rehabilitated from his second major elbow surgery, Ohtani crafted a statistical masterpiece that transcended traditional boundaries. His entrance into the exclusive 50-50 club wasn’t merely an achievement; it was a reimagining of what’s possible on a baseball diamond.
Leading the National League with a staggering 9.2 bWAR while serving exclusively as a designated hitter, Ohtani’s offensive prowess reached new heights — 54 home runs, 130 RBI and a league-leading 1.036 OPS that left pitchers searching for answers that simply didn’t exist.
The pressure of a $700 million contract might have buckled lesser players, but Ohtani seemed to draw strength from the expectations. His September surge — 10 home runs, 32 RBI and a blistering 1.225 OPS— secured the NL West title for the Dodgers while adding another chapter to his legendary season. The World Series championship that followed provided the perfect exclamation point to a year that transcended conventional metrics.
Breaking New Ground in MVP History
The historic weight of Ohtani’s third MVP award cannot be overstated. As the first full-time designated hitter to claim the honor, he shattered yet another barrier in a career defined by demolishing conventional wisdom. His unanimous MVP selection stands out in MLB history, a testament to his unparalleled impact on the game.
“This MVP, I’m just representing the Dodgers,” Ohtani said in his typical humble manner. “It was a complete team effort.”
There is a sliver of truth to that statement, especially when considering the amount of protection he had in the batting order. With players like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez hitting behind him, MLB pitchers could rarely afford to issue Ohtani a free pass. After notching nearly 100 walks with an Angels team that had limited firepower in 2023, he only drew 81 bases on balls in 2024.
Managing the Road Back to Two-Way Player Status
The baseball world now turns its attention to 2025, where Ohtani faces new challenges in his recovery from recent shoulder surgery. While the procedure to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder raises questions, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts maintains measured optimism. “I don’t think it will affect the offense,” Roberts said, though he acknowledged a likely reduction in stolen bases as Ohtani returns to his two-way role.
The complexity of Ohtani’s dual role presents unique challenges in his recovery. “There’s going to be a lot of conversations with Shohei, the training staff, the doctors,” Roberts added, emphasizing the need for careful management of the superstar’s workload.
Still, the outlook remains bright since the surgery affected his non-throwing shoulder, preserving hope for his anticipated pitching debut in Dodger Blue.
Looking Ahead
As Ohtani embarks on his 2025 campaign, the question isn’t whether he will continue to amaze, but rather how he’ll manage to surpass his own lofty standards. With both his pitching arsenal and offensive capabilities intact, the prospect of a fully healthy Ohtani terrorizing opposing teams in multiple ways once again has already set the baseball world buzzing with anticipation. If 2024 proved anything, it’s that betting against Ohtani’s ability to make history might be a bit foolish.
The stage is set for another remarkable season, and as spring training approaches, one thing remains certain — baseball’s most unique talent shows no signs of slowing down. The only question that remains is what records he will break next.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Between the addition of pitching next year plus concerns about another stolen base arm injury, if they decide to drastically curtail Shohei’s running, I’d like to see him moved to third in the batting order behind Mookie at leadoff and Freddie hitting second.
Since Shohei is always going to have the most homers in the lineup I’d rather he come up with the other two guys potentially on base ahead of him.
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I’m really curious to see what happens with Walker Buehler. I’m sure the Dodgers would love to have him back, but I can’t see them offering any more than a few years. You know some team out there would probably be willing to go a lot more. A saw something on MLBTR last week that the Yankees are interested.
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Not sure any team would offer Buehler “a lot” of years but I’m pretty certain somebody would offer him more years than Andrew would.
I’ve read there has been interest from the Braves, Yankees and A’s and he definitely won’t be going to the A’s. The Yankees already have 5 pretty good starters but I guess they could always trade someone or go to a 6-man rotation if they sign him.
Braves probably need him most of those mentioned. Mets have lost a lot of guys to free agency and have an owner who doesn’t care what he spends. And I’m sure there are others who have interest after watching him in the WS.
Right now, we have Glasnow, Yamamoto, Ohtani and Gonsolin set up to start the season with Kershaw and Sheehan due back by about mid year. That’s already 6 potential starters. Then we have Miller who might find himself again and be back in the rotation. Wrobleski and Knack had some good moments last year. And AF is supposedly hot to sign Sasaki and has interest in one of Snell/Fried/Burnes.
Buehler may ultimately decide to sign with a team where he knows he’ll have a firm hold on a spot in the rotation rather than have to fight with about 8 or 9 guys for starts. And all of those potential starters might also limit how much Friedman is willing to offer Buehler, both in $ and length of contract.
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The genius of the Dodger organization. The amount of revenue from the addition of the Japanese nation and fans throughout the world will pay for Ohtani multiple times not counting his contributions on the field. I too wonder about Buehler. I think it comes down to how much Buehler wants to win. Some team is going to offer him a better contract I think.
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Well I think it’s safe to say we have seen the last of Walker Buehler as a Dodger. Really hate losing him but glad he went out on top looking like the Buehler of old. I really thought if we signed a free agent pitcher it would have been Max Fried but signing Snell takes him away from the Giants which is always fun. I hope this doesn’t mess with our pursuit of Sasaki from Japan or bringing back Teoscar Hernandez. Curious how Kershaw now fits as well but they will make room for him with the Dodgers going to a 6 man rotation next year to hopefully keep our arms fresh. This should end Dustin May’s starting career and they should transition him to the bullpen where he has the potential to be a nasty closer with his stuff. I also wonder if this means they don’t plan to have Ohtani pitch anymore and possibly move him to the OF. If we get Teoscar back and add Sasaki with Mookie moving to the IF they could play Ohtani and Teoscar in the corner OF spots with Edman, Outman or Pages maybe playing CF. The rotation could be something fierce even without Ohtani but it would almost be unfair WITH Ohtani at least throwing 15-17 starts or around 100 innings.
Ohtani
Snell
Glasnow
Yamamoto
Kershaw
Sasaki
Truly an embarrassment of riches.
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On a side note, I’ve never honest cared for Blake Snell. He just always comes off as kind of a prick to me. No doubt he’s got great stuff and is a serious strikeout pitcher but wasn’t he the guy that said he hated the Dodgers while played for the Padres? I would have been happy with any of Max Fried, Corbin Burnes or Shane Bieber but I’ll trust AF.
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I always thought Snell had kind of a blah personality, but I’ve since heard that he is considered a good teammate.
I’ve got no problem if he hated the Dodgers while he played in SD. Now he’ll hate the Pads when he plays in LA.
I doubt the signing of Snell will have any effect on the pursuit of Sasaki. Let’s face it, compared to the other guys on the team, he’ll basically be free. Since there will be very little difference in what he can get from one team to the next, it will come down to where and with whom he really wants to play.
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Wow Tommy Edman just cashed in! 5 years $74 million for a super utility player is a lot of money but I love the signing. He’s a really solid all around player with speed on the bases and can play anywhere. I could see him starting in CF next year against lefties and Outman or Pages against RHP. I really hope we can somehow get Teoscar back but I’m afraid his market is going to be higher than Friedman will agree to. He always seems to bring in a veteran on a one year deal that ends up being a key player like J.D. Martinez in 2023. I think we bring Kike’ back too, he wants to play for the Dodgers.
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I’m a big Edman fan also, and happy he got his payday. But we need to remember, a lot of us were saying the same thing about CT3 before we extended him.
You mention playing Outman or Pages in CF against RHP. Pages was excellent against LHP last year but did poorly against righties. If he’s going to be platooned, I would guess he’ll play against lefties.
One last comment. I’m not sure the roster will be at its max with Edman, Rojas, CT3 and Kike all on the same team, although I admit, we just won a world series with them so maybe Andrew is good with that. To me, they’re all different versions of the same player. I’d rather have a utility guy who bats lefty to replace CT or Kike.
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