Home Baseball “Someone pinch me” “I’m SHO excited”: Dodgers fans ecstatic as first image of Shohei Ohtani in team’s training gear surfaces

“Someone pinch me” “I’m SHO excited”: Dodgers fans ecstatic as first image of Shohei Ohtani in team’s training gear surfaces

Baseball — 01/30/2024

The Los Angeles Dodgers are almost ready for the Shohei Ohtani era. For Dodgers fans who have experienced one of the most spectacular offseasons in MLB history, Opening Day is just 58 days away.

First photo of Shohei Ohtani in Dodgers training outfit sent fans into a frenzy

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Japanese free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto and outfield slugger Teoscar Hernandez this offseason in addition to signing Shohei Ohtani. Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot were both acquired by the team from the Tampa Bay Rays. The team has improved as a result of these actions, and they are now among the favorites to win the World Series in the forthcoming season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Ohtani to a ten-year, $700 million contract this offseason, which is the costliest contract in North American sports history. The Dodgers fan base went into a frenzy after the contract was officially announced, breaking the internet as well.

After the team released a picture of the two-way superstar wearing Dodgers training attire, the frenzy only grew. Fans on social media appear unable to contain themselves when they see the two-time MVP wearing team apparel. Many fans have just expressed how happy they are to see Ohtani play at Dodger Stadium.

Some have been even more ecstatic than others, while some are still in shock that Ohtani signed a deal with the Dodgers. These fans are so awestruck by the season they anticipate seeing in 2024 that they have asked someone to touch them.

There will be pressure on Shohei Ohtani to win a title for Los Angeles

While it makes sense to be excited to see Shohei Ohtani donning Los Angeles Dodgers training gear, the team must execute if it hopes to prolong this honeymoon phase. Fans will have to wait until 2024 to witness Ohtani’s genuine unicorn presence as he is not projected to pitch at all in 2024 following elbow surgery this offseason.

Fans’ delight may turn to anxiety and dissatisfaction if the former Los Angeles Angels great stumbles right away. A team with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts on it seems improbable to struggle. But now that Ohtani has been given a $700 million contract, the pressure to perform has increased.