Shohei Ohtani has perfect answer to question about playoff nerves
March 20, 2024; Seoul, SOUTH KOREA; Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani reacts after playing against the San Diego Padres during a MLB regular season Seoul Series game at Gocheok Sky Dome. Photo Credit: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters via USA TODAY Sports
On Saturday, Shohei Ohtani will finally make his MLB playoff debut. If he is experiencing any pregame jitters, he certainly isn’t showing it publicly.
Ohtani met with the media Friday one day before the Dodgers open their playoff run against the San Diego Padres. The Japanese superstar was asked if he was feeling any nerves prior to the game, and Ohtani did not even need his translator to provide a one-word answer: “No.”
Ohtani added that he had dreamed of the opportunity for so long, his excitement outweighed any nerves he might have felt otherwise.
When asked why he isn’t nervous, Ohtani (in Japanese) described playing on a stage like this as a “childhood dream” and that his excitement for it outweighs anything else
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) October 4, 2024
Now in his seventh MLB season, Ohtani is only now getting to experience the postseason, and he is doing it on the heels of a truly historic year. Expectations will be high for him, but the same was true when he started his first regular season with the Dodgers, and he more than met them.
