It's possible that a deep and skeptical fact-check can suggest otherwise but it feels generally true that Shohei Ohtani is attempting to put the capper on the greatest 12-month stretch of baseball anyone has ever played. Everyone was wondering what the incomparable dual-threat star would do for an encore after founding the 50-50 club in 2024 by blasting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases. Given the green light to resume his pitching duties, the Dodgers star once again went where no one has gone before by opening a chapter of the 50-50 organization by smacking 55 dingers and notching 62 strikeouts on the mound.
Throw in a prominent role on a Los Angeles Dodgers side that captured its second consecutive World Series crown, and it's hard to imagine things could get much better. But the World Baseball Classic is providing yet another opportunity to write his mythical history in real time. He's the centerpiece of a Japan team that is aiming to pull of its own repeat on the heels of their 2023 triumph, famously punctuated by Ohtaini punching out his then-Angels teammate Mike Trout.
