Shohei Ohtani’s 2024 season was nothing short of extraordinary.

He became the first player in Major League Baseball history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, while also winning both the home run title and the RBI title.

Had he finished the final game with another explosive performance, he even had a chance to capture the batting title and complete the Triple Crown.

Yet when reporters asked whether he had been conscious of the Triple Crown race, Ohtani responded calmly:

“Not really. I didn’t even know how close it was.”

Of course, winning the Triple Crown would have been historic.

But at that moment, Ohtani’s attention was not on reflecting upon regular-season accomplishments.

His eyes were fixed on something ahead of him — the first postseason appearance of his Major League career.

The Dodgers had dominated the regular season for the previous two years, only to suffer shocking early exits in the Division Series.

Ohtani understood that the postseason was completely different from the regular season.

In a long season, accumulated statistics matter.

In a short series, momentum matters.

Even a Wild Card team can suddenly surge all the way to a championship if it catches fire at the right time.

The same is true for individual players. Even MVP-level stars can become liabilities if they fall into a slump during October.

That is why Ohtani said firmly:

“From this point on, the numbers we’ve accumulated no longer mean anything.”

With that mindset, he entered the postseason battle against the Padres — and immediately changed the series with a game-opening three-run homer that gave the Dodgers momentum.

For Ohtani, regular-season achievements were already in the past.

Only winning mattered now.

Source

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

The Asahi Shimbun — October 1, 2024