Shohei Ohtani to play his first World Series as Dodgers defeat Mets in NLCS
Shohei Ohtani, in his maiden postseason, is heading to the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers after the New York Mets were defeated 10-5 in Game 6 of the NLCS showdown at Dodger Stadium.
As soon as Blake Treinen got the final out of the Mets, Ohtani jumped out of the dugout to join the celebration with his teammates.
Ohtani, who has been in MLB since 2018, didn't get a chance to play in October during his first six years with the LA Angels. Last offseason, he signed a whopping 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers in an attempt to win multiple World Series, and his opportunity to do it in his very first year just became real.
Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers are scheduled for a World Series showdown with the New York Yankees, who beat the Cleveland Guardians in five games for the AL pennant.
Shohei Ohtani vs Aaron Judge: Two MVP contenders to fight it out in Fall Classic
Very rarely such matchup come alive in postseason with two prime MVP candidates of NL and AL coming up against each other in World Series. 2024 is the year when it will happen, with both Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Aaron Judge of the Yankees featuring in the Fall Classic.
Ohtani has lived up to the postseason expectations in his maiden October appearance. His 54/59 regular season momentum has continued in postseason, with him hitting .286 with 12 hits, three homers, 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 11 games thus far.
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge has been a little subdued version of the hitter who blasted 58 home runs on the season. So far, the Yankees captain has hit .161 with five hits, two homers, six RBIs and six runs scored in nine games.
Both would like to cap off their historic season with a World Series. Interestingly, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are both waiting to add a ring to their already Hall of Fame resumes and the opportunity can't get better and more exciting than 2024.