PHOENIX — In 2019, before his first season as a pure hitter, Shohei Ohtani had a request.
He wanted to do his homework as he prepared to return from Tommy John surgery in May. Yes, Ohtani's rookie season with the Los Angeles Angels was a moment of brilliance, but much of the league remained new to him.
So Ohtani researched the spring schedule and asked then-general manager Billy Eppler if he could get tape from the pitchers of the teams the Angels would face that summer.
Every. Singles. One.
Take a look this spring and Ohtani's relentless thirst for information continues unabated. The Dodgers are experiencing it firsthand every day this spring.
“Everything he does is intentional,” said manager Dave Roberts, “which is pretty amazing, but not surprising.”
Ohtani's physical attributes are a wonder. His dazzling presence has an appeal all its own, even in a clubhouse that includes many high-dollar contracts and awards. After all, he is one of the few stars of the sport whose fame is so transcendent that he is mentioned in, for example, a Bad Bunny song.
But he noticed something else in his first spring with his new club. Teammates and club officials are learning that the details matter for the newest Dodger.
“How intentional everything he does is, whether it's in the weight room or out on the field, you can't really understand it until you see it,” said Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
Ohtani is now a two-time MVP and the owner of the richest contract in sports. And once again, in 2024, he will be limited solely to the hitting portion of his game due to elbow surgery.
Ohtani's last full season exclusively as a hitter was productive. He debuted in May, made 425 plate appearances and hit 18 home runs. As a result, he was more aggressive on the basepaths and ranked seventh among designated hitters in overall offensive performance wRC+. This 120 mark also remains his worst mark over a whole season. Good, but nowhere near the heights expected.
This spring, Ohtani is once again being proactive about his schedule and the Dodgers respect his judgment. This includes allowing Ohtani to decide for himself when he feels ready to hit. He appeared on the club's schedule to face live pitching twice before taking the stage for the first time last week.
The Dodgers have been slow to advance his return to action, which begins with Tuesday's Cactus League game at Camelback Ranch. Ohtani laid out his plan to have the club's batting staff ready for Opening Day, and Roberts signaled that he will need around 50 at-bats – against live pitching, on a machine or in games – before qualifying for the 20th. March declared ready in Seoul.
Shohei Ohtani strikes out before a Feb. 23 Cactus League game against the Padres. (Masterpress/Getty Images)
Ohtani explained earlier this month that this is partly because it's not the first time he's had to go through something like this.
For Roberts, however, it's still a work in progress.
“As I’m learning, it’s hard to get my bearings,” Roberts said. “Because context is everything. And with a player like Shohei, sometimes the context doesn't come to light. I'm just realizing that I have to be very careful with my words so that they don't get taken out of context, just with him and the organization in mind. Because I've never dealt with a world player. I mean, there is only one Shohei.”
It's still a balancing act that requires “a lot of respect between both sides,” Ohtani's agent Nez Balelo said last week. The Dodgers gave Ohtani wiggle room, and Ohtani drafted a contract (including language with the owners and front office) to ensure that continues to be the case.
“It’s not like (Ohtani) has his own program,” Balelo continued.
The angels had seen him flourish in part because they gave him such freedom. The Dodgers are also learning the intricacies.
The Dodgers have noticed the differences in Ohtani's routine. He'll use his work in the cage to work on mechanics and use his outdoor swings (a rarity) as a test of strength while practicing tape-measure home runs. They saw him enjoying his time in the Dodgers' new indoor batting facility, noting the way he used the Trajekt Arc pitching machine (one of the few technological upgrades the Angels also made during his time there). used) to get reps release points and pitch characteristics of different pitchers.
“Very meticulous,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said. “There’s a reason why he does everything.”
“He measures everything he does,” said fellow hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc.
Everything about Ohtani must now be considered in a larger context: what it means for the richest deal in sports history, what it means for the Dodgers' title ambitions and how the Dodgers changed so much of their normal behavior to go on such a spending spree possible.
But when it comes to Ohtani himself, it's the little things that matter.
GO DEEPER
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(Photo by Shohei Ohtani: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)