CAMELBACK RANCH, AZ — The first Friday of Shohei Ohtani’s Arizona camp availability didn’t have much in the way of breaking news, but we checked in with the 700-million dollar man to take his temperature as Spring Training gets underway. He talked through where his throwing is, how he’s thinking about the WBC, and what he learned from trying to carry a two-way workload through October. The tone was calm and straightforward. A lot of it came back to the same idea: build up correctly, stay healthy, and let the season be long.
On where his offseason work began and what his ramp-up looks like right now, Ohtani said, “I started getting into preparation around the beginning of February. Today was my third bullpen. I think it’s been going well, and I feel like everything is moving in a good direction.”
Asked about the WBC and what it means to him, he didn’t downplay it. “There were a lot of good games last time,” Ohtani said. “For the baseball world, I think it’s an important tournament, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’m going to enjoy it and give it everything.”
The part he kept returning to was how different this winter felt compared to the last couple years. “I was finally able to spend a normal offseason,” Ohtani said. “It was short, but I think that’s a good thing. In that short time, I think I was able to prepare enough.”
He also got a question about speaking English, and he answered it with a grin. “It’s necessary,” Ohtani said of leaning on his interpreter and and answering in Japanese. “Some bully asks mean questions, so I need it to avoid them well.” So, looks like Will Ireton’s job is safe for a while longer.
When the questions shifted to goals and what he’s still chasing, Ohtani made the priority clear and repeated it in different ways. He wasn’t after the Cy Young per se. It was what being in the running might mean to his season. “If I can stay healthy and go through the whole year, that’s the number one thing I have to do,” he said. “I think it’s important to go through the whole year. That’s really important for the team and for me.”
Of course, he didn’t say he DIDN’T want the trophy, so there’s that. Paul Skenes, check your rearview mirror. Somebody might be gaining on you.
He connected that to what the postseason taught him about the grind of doing both. “I got used to the rhythm again,” Ohtani said. “Two years ago I played in the postseason as DH only, but playing important games in a short period while doing both, I felt that’s a burden. I think I was able to have a really good experience.”
That context fed into his comments about how he’s approaching pitching work before leaving for the WBC. “During the WBC, I don’t really know how I’ll be able to adjust there,” Ohtani said. “So for now, I want to get in live work while I’m here. I think today’s bullpen was for that. If I can throw live BP again next week, I think I can take things over there in a good state.”
On the decision not to pitch in the WBC, he described it as something reached through ongoing discussions, not a single moment. “We talked about a lot of things,” Ohtani said. “There’s the team’s intentions, and my feeling, and we brought those together. I think I can play without any problems, so I’m preparing for that.”
He also said the timing matters, and that’s why he’s comfortable with it. “Last year I only started pitching from the second half,” Ohtani said. “If I had gone through a full year and then the timing came, maybe the way we think about it would be different, including me. But at this stage, honestly it feels difficult. I’m convinced of that.”
When someone followed up about whether it was driven by something external like insurance, he said that wasn’t an issue. “The physical for insurance has already been done,” Ohtani said. “I don’t think that’s a problem.”
He got a bigger question about what he wants to keep aiming for after already reaching things most players never touch. Ohtani answered it like someone who refuses to treat success as a stopping point. “Winning the World Series, winning the WBC, being MVP, it’s not like doing it one time is enough,” he said. “I think continuing it is important. One time is good, but two is better, and three is better than two. I think stacking it up is important.”
Then he drew his own line in the sand. “I’m not satisfied,” Ohtani said. “If I’m satisfied, I think that’s when it’s time to be done. I don’t think that now. If I felt that way, then I should quit.”
On Team Japan’s roster and getting connected with everyone quickly, he said he’s still learning it. “I’m studying,” Ohtani said. “If we can communicate on the field, that’s the best. There isn’t much time before the tournament starts, so if we can communicate on the field, I think that’s good.”
He also mentioned he hasn’t seen Munetaka Murakami in person yet, even though they’ve exchanged messages. “We’ve texted a few times,” Ohtani said. “But I haven’t been able to meet him yet. If we can talk more somewhere during the WBC, I’d be happy.”
Back in Dodgers camp mode, he was asked about spring at-bats before heading out. Ohtani said he isn’t worried about getting enough. “The at-bats aren’t a problem,” he said. “I’m not trying to force the number up. If I go through a normal camp schedule, it’ll probably be around 60. If I think about half of that before I go, and then I adjust again after I get there, I think that’s fine.”
He also watched Yoshinobu Yamamoto throw and gave him a strong review. “I thought it was great,” Ohtani said. “He’s still building up, but I thought the command was great. And watching Will’s reaction, I think he feels the ball is coming. I thought it was great.”
That was the feel of the whole session. A lot of practical checkpoints, a lot of “whole year” talk, and a few lines that only sound simple until you remember how hard they are to actually do.
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