Back in sprint training, during Shohei Ohtani’s early days with his new club, people around Dodgers camp couldn’t help but dream of what the two-way star’s debut season with the team could look like.
Coming off his second most valuable player award and a record $700-million signing with the Dodgers in the offseason, Ohtani was already viewed as the best player in baseball.
And after undergoing Tommy John surgery at the end of last year, he entered 2024 solely focused on being a designated hitter.
At the time, the hope was that Ohtani’s offense would be unburdened by his elbow surgery and rehab as a pitcher.