The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first game of the season in South Korea was later overshadowed by comments from Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter suggesting he was being taken advantage of. Their last postgame was a celebration filled with beer and champagne after winning the franchise’s eighth World Series title.
In between, the team faced many injuries, including issues with their pitching rotation, Mookie Betts’ broken hand, and Freddie Freeman’s sprained ankle. Ohtani achieved the historic 50/50 milestone, and the Dodgers claimed their 11th National League West title in 12 years while having the best record in the majors.
During the playoffs, the Dodgers showed great resilience. They were down 2-1 against their rival San Diego in the National League Division Series but came back to win in five games. They faced the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series and managed to win in six games.
In the World Series opener, they were on the verge of losing until Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in Series history. They managed to get a narrow 7-6 win over the New York Yankees to finish the Series in five games.
“We just kept going. Even in the postseason, I don’t think anyone had us picked. I don’t think they had us picked to get out of the first series,” said manager Dave Roberts. “For us to go out there and fight and scratch and claw and win 11 games in October, that’s a credit to our guys.”
Investing a billion dollars to sign Ohtani and fellow Japanese player Yoshinobu Yamamoto last offseason proved to be a good move, even if Ohtani’s performance in the playoffs didn’t match his regular-season success when his offense helped carry the Dodgers.
Ohtani achieved career highs in home runs, stolen bases, and RBIs, making him the favorite to win NL MVP. However, in the playoffs, he struggled, going 2 for 19 with no RBIs and only managing one hit after partially dislocating his shoulder in Game 2 of the World Series.
“What Shohei’s done for our ball club, the Dodger fan base both here and around the world, I just don’t think you can measure,” said manager Dave Roberts. “He was playing with one arm in the postseason. Most guys would probably sit out, but he refused to be kept off the field and was determined to be in the lineup.”
The Dodgers made important trades at the July deadline, adding pitchers Jack Flaherty—one of three healthy starters in the playoffs—and Michael Kopech, along with utility player Tommy Edman, who earned MVP honors for his performance in the NLCS.
Ohtani’s former interpreter is facing jail time for bank and tax fraud and will be sentenced in December. Next year, Ohtani will return as a two-way player when he starts pitching again after recovering from a second elbow surgery.
The Dodgers have eight players who became free agents when the World Series ended: Walker Buehler, Flaherty, Kiké Hernández, Teoscar Hernández, Daniel Hudson, Joe Kelly, Kevin Kiermaier, and Blake Treinen.
Hudson announced his retirement after Wednesday night’s victory, and Kiermaier had already said he plans to retire.
The Dodgers have team options on Austin Barnes and Miguel Rojas for next season. Clayton Kershaw has a player option and intends to return after a toe injury kept him out of the playoffs.
For now, the celebration continues. After winning a neutral-site World Series against Tampa Bay in 2020 and missing a parade due to the pandemic, the Dodgers have a lot of excitement to release.
“I’m sure there’s no asterisk on this one,” Roberts said.
They will celebrate their championship with a parade downtown and an event at Dodger Stadium on Friday, which would have been Fernando Valenzuela’s 64th birthday. The 1981 NL Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year winner passed away last week.
“It’s going to be emotional,” said Roberts, who was friends with Valenzuela. “I know he’s smiling right now and very proud of this organization.”
