Shohei Ohtani’s upcoming postseason start: nervousness, gratitude, and Philly cheesesteak

Shohei Ohtani has never pitched at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies’ home field, especially not during the high-pressure playoffs. But thanks to his earlier at-bats there, he understands the enthusiasm of the crowd and the thrilling atmosphere throughout the game.

One more thing, “One thing I do know,” Ohtani said through translator Will Ireton, “is that the Philly cheesesteak in the clubhouse is really delicious.”

Ohtani is about to make a highly anticipated major league debut—his first postseason start as a pitcher. Tomorrow, he will face the Phillies in the National League Division Series opener, becoming the first player in MLB history to start a single postseason game both as a pitcher and as a non-pitcher.

Last year, before the Dodgers began their World Series run, Ohtani said he wasn’t nervous about experiencing his first MLB postseason. This year is different—it's his first time participating in the playoffs fully as a two-way player.

“I’m sure I’ll feel nervous at times,” Ohtani said, “but more importantly, I’m truly grateful to be playing baseball at this point in time. Staying healthy is especially important to me, so I’m very thankful for that.”

After undergoing a second major surgery on his right elbow in September 2023, Ohtani faced a challenging road back. For most of this year, the Dodgers intentionally slowed down his rehab until he started facing hitters, then accelerated it, allowing him to return to the major league mound in mid-June earlier than expected.

Even upon returning, Ohtani was essentially still “pitching while healing,” just now on the major league stage. This process is as unique as his two-way role, with the Dodgers carefully managing his workload so it wouldn’t interfere with his daily role as leadoff hitter while gradually rebuilding his pitching endurance.

This was a carefully planned approach, and the Dodgers’ cautiousness was especially evident on September 16 against the Phillies. In that game, Ohtani threw five no-hit innings, using only 68 pitches before being removed—his second-to-last start of the regular season.

That game marked a turning point. Since then, Ohtani feels he is no longer a “rehab pitcher.” He extended his final regular-season start to six innings. Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said earlier this week that Ohtani is now regarded as a regular starting pitcher.

“If he can pitch six innings—or maybe even seven—that’s what we’ve been waiting for all season,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s ready for this moment. For me, I just need to sit back and watch. But as he said, we treat him like a normal starting pitcher.”

With the bullpen unstable this year, the Dodgers desperately need starters to go deeper into games. Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto provided that assurance during the NL Wild Card Series sweep of the Reds, and they will pitch Games 2 and 3 of the Division Series, following Ohtani.

In the two and a half weeks before the Division Series, Ohtani showed dominance at home against the Phillies, retiring 15 of 16 batters faced. Now facing the same team again, both sides have gained a better understanding of each other.

However, if Ohtani can perform as powerfully as he did in that game, the opponent will have little room to adjust.

“That game a few weeks ago might have been his best start this season,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He was outstanding—power, control, command, pitch mix were all flawless. He threw incredibly well, reaching speeds of 98-99 mph, and his offspeed pitches were well above average. If he maintains that form, he’ll be a huge challenge for any opponent.”