On ST day six, Shohei Ohtani signs for the fans.

On Wednesday, Shohei Ohtani, like a fan, threw baseballs over the wall at Camelback Ranch, going from right field to center field and then left. During a bullpen session, Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw Will Smith dozens of pitches, receiving verbal permission from the seasoned catcher a few times.

Smith would respond, “Yes,” as the ball landed in his glove. During the first full-squad practice day of the Dodgers 2024 Spring Training, manager Dave Roberts delivered a message to the team on Wednesday that was influenced by the arrival of Ohtani, Yamamoto, and the other recruits.

Roberts explained the message this way: “It was more of the mindset of appreciating that we have a talented roster, but it’s up to us to go out there and play good baseball and get better every day and embrace the idea that people are coming after us.”

For Roberts, the tone-setter message is nothing new. Every year on the morning of the Dodgers’ first full-squad practice, he usually says something thought-provoking. The new faces in Dodger camp also served as inspiration for last year’s message. Veteran players Jason Heyward, J.D. Martinez, and David Peralta were singled out by Roberts, who noted that their joining with the Dodgers prior to the 2023 season was motivated by a desire to win. But the new set of signings this year has changed the atmosphere at camp with high expectations and intense scrutiny. With more cars in the Camelback Ranch parking lot every day, many of which are being attracted by Ohtani and Yamamoto, Freddie Freeman claimed to have witnessed the latter part on a daily basis. Freemаn remаrked, “We nоtice it, but I think thаt’s mоre оf а gооd thing.” Thаt implies thаt the Dоdgers hаd а successful оffseаsоn. оur greаt-grаndchildren will be tаlking аbоut this guy, which is whо we hаve. We’ll be tаlking аbоut Shоhei in the sаme wаy thаt we did with Bаbe Ruth. For us, it’s simply a wonderful moment to be a Dodger. Indeed, winning the offseason is not the main focus. We are aware that we must go outside and play. During his morning conference, Roberts did not address the 2023 season or how it concluded with the Diamondbacks pulling off an incredible sweep of the National League Division Series. Of the current Dodger 40-man roster, 14 players (including recent addition Ohtani, outfielders Teoscar Hernández and Manuel Margot, pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, and James Paxton) did not appear in a single game for the Dodgers in 2017. As a member of the reorganized starting lineup, Paxton confirmed many of the criticisms leveled at this team. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been a member of a team that had so much talent.” It’s incredible,” the ten-year veteran exclaimed. “You scan the space around you. From top to bottom, there are countless superstars and an abundance of skill. Being a part of this team is exciting. I just want to enjoy myself and keep winning lots more baseball games with these people, one day at a time. The Dodgers turned things around thanks to the acquisitions. Right now, the Dodgers have no other option. “We don’t want to lose in the playoffs, it doesn’t matter who you lose to or how you lose,” Freeman stated. “Winning the World Series is our one and only objective every year. And we are who we are. The fact that we were swept up adds to the sting, in my opinion. However, that was a year ago, so we need to move on.