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By signing Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to continue staking their claim as kings of the NL West. For Ohtani and company to achieve that goal, they must take down the San Francisco Giants and any NL West competitor in their way.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers achieved that goal by defeating the Giants 10-2. Ohtani went 3-for-5 with towering 446 foot home run and two RBI. After the game – which was played at Oracle Park – Ohtani took time to shout out Giants legend Barry Bonds, via Juan Toribo of MLB.com.
“The image of the ballpark I have is, it’s very beautiful, historic. I really like the view of this stadium,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I’ve seen Barry Bonds hit a lot of home runs, so I’m very familiar with the Dodgers and Giants rivalry.”
The legend of Bonds has its own chapter in MLB’s history books. With the Giants for 15 years, Bonds hit .312 with 586 home runs and 1,440 RBI over his 1,976 games in San Francisco. He is the all-time leader in home runs, which is record-setting shot coming at Oracle Park – back when it was called AT&T Park. While not in the Hall of Fame due to steroid related issues, Bonds is a seven-time MVP, 14-time All-Star and 12-time Silver Slugger.
With Bonds at the helm for almost two decades, the Giants and Dodgers have had a storied rivalry throughout their franchise’s history. San Francisco is currently winning that rivalry, with the all-time series at 1,288-1,281-17 in their favor.
But Los Angeles is creeping up. Only eight games behind, the Dodgers want to prove they’re the superior NL West franchise. And now, LA has their Bonds-esqe superstar in Shohei Ohtani.
Shohei Ohtani crafting his own legacy with Dodgers
Bonds’ legacy comes from his power stroke. While those steroid questions will continue to come up, his home run ability sets him apart from every hitter in MLB history. For Ohtani, it was his success as a two-way player.
While injuries hurt the consistency of his outings, Ohtani found strong success on the mound during his time with the Los Angeles Angels. Over his 86 starts, Ohtani held a 38-19 record with a 3.01 ERA and a 608/173 K/BB ratio.
The Dodgers knew before signing him that Ohtani wouldn’t pitch in 2024. He underwent major elbow surgery during the 2023 season. If Ohtani can pitch in 2025, Los Angeles would surely want to add him to their rotation; assuming he is at full health. But the superstar has proven he doesn’t need to play two-ways to make his MLB mark.
Through his first 42 games with the Dodgers, Ohtani is hitting .361 with 12 home runs, 30 RBI and nine stolen base. He has been everything Los Angeles was hoping for and more. In a lineup already full of superstars, Ohtani gives the team arguably the scariest lineup in the league.
It follows suit with the work he did at the plate during his time with the Angels. Over 701 games, Ohtani hit .274 with 171 home runs, 437 RBI and 86 stolen bases. He is a two-time MVP, three-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year.
Whether or not Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound, his legacy will be talking about long after he hangs up his cleats. While he is on the other side of the rivalry, Ohtani is looking to craft as many memorable moments as he can with the Dodgers. Much like Barry Bonds did with the Giants.
More must-reads:
- Guardians designate once-vaunted outfielder for assignment
- Yankees' Aaron Judge, Juan Soto make MLB history with impressive offensive numbers
- The 'MLB stolen base leaders' quiz
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