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In case you forgot, there has never been anyone like Shohei Ohtani.
The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar has a 0.896 OPS and 0.00 ERA entering this season and has won numerous Silver Sluggers while being in the Cy Young Award conversation. Last year, he hit 55 home runs and pitched to a 2.87 ERA.
However, throwing and hitting in the same game has caused some controversy.
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani pitches during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Center in Toronto on April 8, 2026. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)
It’s been a thing since Ohtani joined the Japanese majors in 2018, but it started making the rounds during last year’s World Series that when Ohtani takes the mound after being on base, he gets an extra grace period during warmups.
Normally, inning breaks are two minutes and 15 seconds for local games, and an additional 30 seconds are added for nationally televised games. However, Ohtani was inadvertently an exception. Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider had a few words with an umpire during Game 7 of the World Series last year about the ordeal.
Well, Ohtani was back on the mound in Toronto for a Fall Classic rematch on Wednesday, and sure enough, he had a little more time to warm up. Outfielder George Springer even had a conversation with the home plate umpire while Ohtani was pitching, but Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that it was simply to ask how long Ohtani had.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning of Game 7 of the World Series of Baseball in Toronto, Saturday, November 1, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, however, seemed upset by Springer’s apparent questioning.
“Just talking about the World Series, I think they were a little frustrated with the time Shohei was taking between innings. But if he’s on base, there’s got to be some grace, which the umpires are trying to give him,” Roberts said after the game, via The Athletic. “Yeah, if you’re on the other side, you try to rush him as much as you can and treat him like any other pitcher.
“But the truth is that he is different. But I understand their criticism.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani greets manager Dave Roberts during player introductions before Game 1 of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario on October 24, 2025. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)
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Because of his prowess on the mound and in the batter’s box, Ohtani is the heavy favorite to win his fifth MVP award in the last six seasons.
