When the dust finally settled on Game 3 of the 2025 World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani finished with a 4-for-4 night at the plate to go along with five walks.
The fact that Ohtani took the mound on Tuesday to deliver a gusty six-plus inning outing is further testament to how special of a player he is. At the same time, Ohtani makes it increasingly difficult to articulate just how talented he is with each incredible performance.
The term “generational” is commonly used across all sports to describe a player whose skill set only comes around once every 10 years. However, giving Ohtani that label would undersell his abilities.
Freddie Freeman might have come up with a suitable solution to this problem by upping the ante, describing Ohtani as a once-in-a-century player.
“He’s a unicorn. There’s no more adjectives you can describe Shohei,” Freeman said. “It’s 4-for-4, five walks, he finally got pitched to in his last at-bat, and he still had the patience to not be trying to do too much and get on base. He’s just incredible.
“We’ve been talking about him since he got here in 2018. We’re still running out of words to describe a once-in-a-10-generational player.”
Game 3 hero Will Klein delivered one of the most impressive performances by a Dodgers pitcher given the circumstances, but even he is left speechless by Ohtani’s feats as a two-way player.
“He’s a freak,” Klein said. “I mean, that guy. I don’t know how anyone can do what he does. Being the best hitter and the best pitcher in the league, I don’t think there’s a word to describe it other than he’s the GOAT.
“But, I mean, just getting to be teammates with him is a great honor. He’s going to go out there and shove tomorrow, and we’ll be like, ‘Man he was on base nine times yesterday and he’s not tired at all.’”
Blake Snell doesn’t believe anyone will ever be able to match or surpass Ohtani’s on-base streak in Game 3, except perhaps the once-in-a-century player himself.
“I don’t want to say safely because he’ll probably break it, but I don’t think I’ll see that ever again, nine times in a row,” Snell said. “I mean, like, reach base in one game. At least I hope not. That’s a lot.
“But it doesn’t even amaze me with him anymore. He’s going to do spectacular things all the time, and it’s just going to be normal for him. It’s just the standard that he holds himself to and he creates is pretty amazing.
“Just to see the respect of the other side with intentionally walking him, and we’re going to pitch to him, and no we’re not, we’re going to walk him again. Yeah, just to see what he’s able to do is pretty amazing.”
Manager Dave Roberts is at a loss for words when it comes to describing the mental and physical challenges Ohtani overcomes on a daily basis.
“I don’t have a good answer,” he said. “I can try in the sense of you’re talking about two people. I guess two people in one, who have to realize crazy expectations, probably unattainable for a person, to be in one.
“And then to kind of have the body and mind work together to perform at the highest level with all eyes on him. I just don’t think there’s a comparable if you’re talking about one human being.”
Shohei Ohtani’s on-base streak snapped
As a result of Ohtani’s historic performance in Game 3, he entered Tuesday’s game with an on-base streak of 11 plate appearances.
Ohtani extended that to 12 with a leadoff walk against Shane Bieber in the first inning of Game 4, but it ended there as he struck out in his next at-bat.
Ohtani finished 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in the Dodgers’ loss.
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