Shohei Ohtani’s 2024 season was filled with historic achievements.

He set multiple “firsts” in Major League Baseball history and even rewrote several franchise records for the storied Los Angeles Dodgers.

When Ohtani first signed his 10-year, $700 million contract — the largest in professional sports history at the time — some questioned whether the Dodgers could ever justify the cost.

Was it too much money?
Could anyone possibly live up to those expectations?

Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten answered that question perfectly when asked by reporters whether Ohtani had met expectations.

“You guys were going to ask me if he lived up to expectations, right? The answer is no. He far exceeded them. It was unbelievably beyond imagination.”

Statistically, Ohtani produced one of the greatest seasons in MLB history.

He helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series title, and from a business perspective, he generated enormous value for the organization as well.

Still, former Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp jokingly teased him by saying:

“Ohtani didn’t help at all as a pitcher this year.”

The joke, of course, was that Ohtani was supposed to be a two-way player, yet in 2024 he only contributed as a hitter while recovering from elbow surgery.

Ohtani responded with perfect timing and humor:

“Oh, I couldn’t pitch this year. Sorry — I only hit 50 home runs.”

It was a classic Ohtani moment — calm, self-aware, and quietly hilarious.

People almost forgot that he was technically still a rehabbing pitcher.

Even while unable to take the mound, he produced a season that most players could never dream of achieving at full health.

Source

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

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