For Shohei Ohtani, the World Series had been a dream ever since his high school days.

He had already experienced winning a championship in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and he had also stood atop the world at the World Baseball Classic. Still, Ohtani had always been driven by one thing above all else: winning.

That is precisely why his years with the Los Angeles Angels were so frustrating.

Not only did the team fail to reach the World Series — they never even made the postseason.

So when Ohtani finally earned that opportunity in his very first season with the Dodgers, it became a deeply emotional milestone.

And the way it happened made it even more special.

In the game that secured the Dodgers’ postseason berth, Ohtani delivered one of the greatest performances of his career: six hits, three home runs, ten RBIs, and two stolen bases.

Reflecting afterward, he said:

“This was the stage I dreamed about when I came to America. To clinch it with a win makes it even more meaningful to me.”

According to Number, this was Ohtani’s 866th Major League game — the most games played by any active player without a postseason appearance at that time.

That statistic alone reveals how long and difficult the road had been for a player already regarded as “the best in the world.”

That is why reaching the postseason in his first year with the Dodgers meant so much to him.

Inside the clubhouse, teammates celebrated Ohtani’s historic 50–50 achievement by wearing special T-shirts honoring him.

But Ohtani’s message back to them was simple:

“Keep going.”

Even after making history, his eyes were already fixed on the ultimate goal — winning the championship.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Number Special Edition: Shohei Ohtani & the Dodgers’ World Championship Memories