Category: MLB

Max Muncy stood in the middle of what is normally an underground batting cage. But on Friday, moments after the Dodgerscompleted a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, it had been transformed into the most exclusive drinking spot in the city, the place where the players came to toast their return to the World Series.

Cheap champagne and even cheaper beer flowed freely — mostly over people’s heads — before forming deep puddles on some plastic sheeting that had hastily been laid along the floor.

“You never get tired of this. You can't ever take this for granted,” Muncy, the Dodger third baseman said, as he clutched a lit cigar in one hand and two red Budweiser bottles in the other. “This is the whole reason that you play baseball. You want to be in this moment.

“You want to play postseason baseball. And to be able to do it for as many times as I've done it, it's just truly a blessing.”

The moment Muncy referred to is the alcohol-infused postseason series victory celebration, a tradition that dates to the 1960 World Series when members of the Pittsburgh Pirates chose not to drink the champagne that had been wheeled into their victorious clubhouse, but began spraying it on one another instead.

As baseball’s postseason format expanded, so did the number of champagne celebrations; Friday’s was the Dodgers’ fifth in 29 days and 10^th in less than two years. And it may not be the last since they’ll open the World Series next weekend with a chance to become the first repeat champion this century.

“It’s a grown man acting like a little kid. You look forward it,” reliever Blake Treinen, who has played for seven playoff teams in his career, said as he leaned on a giant red cooler stuffed with mostly empty bottles of champagne.

When the Dodgers qualified for the playoffs last month, they toasted that achievement at home, then toasted themselves again six days later in Arizona when they clinched the division title. This month they’ve beaten the Cincinnati Reds in the wild-card series, the Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series and now the Brewers in the LCS.

Read more:Plaschke: 'Ohhhhhtani!' Immortal Shohei Ohtani blasts Dodgers to the World Series

And with each victory, the celebrations have grown in fervor and joy.

“It gets better and better each round,” pitcher Tyler Glasnow agreed.

As soon as Caleb Durbin’s fly ball settled in Andy Pages’ glove near the right-field bullpen gate Friday night, extending the Dodgers’ season while ending the Brewers’, fireworks filled the air and Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” blared from the stadium’s sound system. As a small army of workers rushed to set up a temporary wooden stage behind second base, the players pulled on gray t-shirts with words National League Champions and the script Dodgers set against a baseball diamond outlined in yellow.

On their heads they wore black caps that read World Series 2025. But the public ceremony on the stage, in which chairman Mark Walter was presented with the league championship trophy and Shohei Ohtani was handed the series MVP trophy, was short and tame compared to raucous fiesta that started in the batting cage a few minutes later.

“These kinds of celebrations, you can never have too many,” infielder Miguel Rojas shouted in Spanish over a loud soundtrack of percussive music that played in a loop. “A moment like this is really important, really beautiful.

“Five times this year. We’ve got one to go.”

A few feet away outfielder Teoscar Hernández surrounded himself with a handful of journalists in an unsuccessful attempt to hide from the champagne sprays directed at him by teammates.

“I don't think there's anybody that gets tired of this. I'm not tired,” he said. “I want to get one more, and then five more next year.

“This is the only time that you can get to celebrate something, to be free, not thinking about your job, not thinking about what you got to do tomorrow.”

Read more:Shohei Ohtani’s historic performances send Dodgers back to World Series

As the party began to wane and players left the batting cage to join their families in a quieter gathering on the field, Muncy looked down at the thick victory cigar between his fingers and turned reflective. The celebration wasn’t about champagne or beer or victory cigars. It wasn’t even about winning.

It was more about surviving the crucible of the longest schedule in pro sports and celebrating that with the people who were with you every step of the way.

“It's amazing, is what it is,” he said. “This is one of the best parts about being in the postseason. You grind with your teammates and your brothers for seven, eight months, all the way back to spring training.

“This is just like a culmination of all your collective efforts.”

Who wouldn’t want drink to that?

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Two days ago, Shohei Ohtani rolled into Dodger Stadium as a man on a mission.

After struggling for the previous couple weeks — mired in a postseason slump that had raised questions about everything from his out-of-sync swing mechanics to the physical toll of his two-way duties — the soon-to-be four-time MVP decided it was time to change something up.

Over the previous seven games, going back to the start of the National League Division Series, the $700-million man had looked nothing like himself. Ohtani had two hits in 25 at-bats. He’d recorded 12 strikeouts and plenty more puzzling swing decisions. And he seemed, in the estimation of some around the team, unusually perturbed as public criticisms of his play started to mount.

So, during the team’s off-day workout Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, ahead of Game 3 of the NL Championship Series, Ohtani informed the club’s hitting coaches he wanted to take batting practice on the field.

Read more:Plaschke: 'Ohhhhhtani!' Immortal Shohei Ohtani blasts Dodgers to the World Series

It was a change from his normal routine — and signaled his growing urgency to get back on track.

“If this was a regular-season situation and you're looking at an expanse of small sample — eight, nine games, whatever it might be — he probably wouldn't be out on the field,” manager Dave Roberts said later.

But “with the urgency [of] the postseason,” the manager continued, Ohtani “wanted to make an adjustment on his own.”

Whatever Ohtani found that day, evidently (and resoundingly) clicked. He led off Game 3 with a triple. He entered Game 4 looking more comfortable with his swing. And then, in one of the incredible individual displays ever witnessed in playoff history, he lifted the Dodgers straight into the World Series.

In a 5-1 defeat of the Milwaukee Brewers that completed an NLCS sweep and gave the Dodgers their 26th pennant in franchise history, Ohtani hit three home runs as a hitter, and struck out 10 batters over six-plus scoreless innings as a pitcher.

He made his previously disappointing playoffs a suddenly forgotten memory, earning NLCS MVP honors and to the astonished amazement of all 52,883 in attendance.

And he delivered the kind of game the baseball world dreamed about when the two-way phenom first arrived from Japan, fulfilling the prophecy that accompanied him as a near-mythical prospect eight years earlier.

Back then, Ohtani’s 100-mph fastball and wicked off-speed repertoire had tantalized evaluators. His majestic left-handed swing had tortured pitchers in his home country.

Not since Babe Ruth had the sport seen anything like him.

There were some early growing pains (and injuries) during his transition to the majors. But over the last five years, he blossomed in the game’s definitive face.

All that had been missing, in a resume chock full of MVPs and All-Star selections and unthinkable records even "The Great Bambino" never produced, was a signature performance in October. A game in which he dominated on the mound, thrilled at the plate, and single-handedly transformed a game on the sport’s biggest stage.

During that Wednesday workout this week, Ohtani got himself ready for one, stepping into the cage during his on-field batting practice — as his walk-up song played through the stadium speakers and teammates gathered near the dugout in curious anticipation — and swatting one home run after another, including one that soared to the roof of the right-field pavilion.

On Friday, in an almost unimaginable showcase of his unprecedented talents, he managed to do exactly the same thing.

After stranding a leadoff walk in the top of the first with three-straight strikeouts, Ohtani switched from pitcher to hitter and unleashed a hellacious swing. Brewers starter José Quintana left him an inside slurve. Ohtani turned it into the first leadoff home run ever by a pitcher (in the regular season or playoffs). The ball traveled 446 feet. It landed high up the right-field stands.

Three more scoreless innings of pitching work later, Ohtani came back to the plate and hit his second home run of the night even farther. In a swing almost identical to his titanic BP drive two days prior, he launched a ball that darn near clipped the pavilion roof again, a 469-foot moonshot that landed in the concourse above the seats in right.

Somehow, there was still plenty more to come.

With the Dodgers up 4-0 at that point, Ohtani then did his best work as a pitcher, following up two strikeouts that stranded a leadoff double in the fourth — and had him excitedly fist-pumping off the mound — with two more in both the fifth and the sixth.

His fastball was humming up to triple-digits. His sweeper and cutter were keeping the Brewers off balance. His splitter wasn’t touched once any of the five times they tried to swing at it.

Anything he did immediately became magic.

Ohtani’s loudest roar came in the bottom of the seventh, after his pitching start had ended on a walk and a single led off the top half of the inning.

For the third time, he flung his bat at a pitch over the plate. He sent a fly ball sailing deep in a mild autumn night. He rounded the bases as landed beyond the center field fence.

Three home runs. Six immaculate innings. A tour de force that sent the Dodgers to the World Series.

All of it, just two days removed from Ohtani being seemingly at his lowest.

All of it, when the baseball world was most closely watching.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

One minute he was burning through the top of the first inning with three flaming strikeouts.

Roar!

The next minute — literally — he was slugging through the bottom of the first by driving a ball 446 feet into the back of the right-field pavilion.

Roar! Roar! 

Three innings later he was doing it again, striking out two batters in the top of the fourth inning before driving a ball 469 feet underneath the roof of the same right field pavilion.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Read more:Shohei Ohtani’s historic game carries Dodgers past Brewers and into World Series

Then in the seventh inning after he had left the mound he hammered history again, driving a ball 427 feet over the center-field fence.

Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!

Shohei Ohtani, are you for real?

Dodger fans, do you realize what you’re watching here? Los Angeles, can you understand the singular greatness that plays here? Fall Classic, are you ready for another dose of Sho-time?

Ohtani and the Dodgers are back on baseball’s grandest stage, arguably the best player in baseball history and the defending champions returning together to the World Series Friday night, Ohtani pitching and hitting his star-struck teammates into a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.

The final score was 5-1, but, really, it was over at 1-0, Ohtani’s thunderous leadoff homer after his thundering three strikeouts igniting a dancing Dodger Stadium crowd and squelching the Brewers before the first inning was even 10 minutes old.

How far did that first home-run actually travel? Back, back, back into forever, it was the first leadoff homer by a pitcher in baseball history, regular season or postseason, even the legendary Babe Ruth never did it.

The amazing unicorn basically created the same wizardry again in the fourth inning and added a third longball in the seventh in carrying the Dodgers to their second consecutive World Series and fifth in nine years while further cementing their status as one of baseball’s historic dynasties.

They are attempting to become the first back-to-back champions in 25 years, since the 1999-2000 Yankees.

Beginning Oct. 24 against either the Seattle Mariners or Toronto Blue Jays, the Dodgers will enter this World Series with something none of those past great teams — or any teams ever — possessed.

All together now… Ohhhhhtani!

And to think, before the game he was slumping, two-for-11 in the NLCS, batting .158 for the postseason, swinging so wildly that he actually emerged from his usual indoor batting cage fortress to take batting practice on the field during Wednesday’s workout.

Facing nagging questions before the workout about whether the strain of pitching was affecting his hitting, he denied any correlation.

“I don't necessarily think that the pitching has affected my hitting performance,” he said at the time. “Just on the pitching side, as long as I control what I can control, I feel pretty good about putting up results. On the hitting side, just the stance, the mechanics, that's something that I do — it's a constant work in progress. I don't necessarily think so. It's hard to say.”

Everyone should have known something was up during that special batting practice when Ohtani drove a ball off the right-field roof. He was clearly embarrassed by his performance and vowed to silence the critics.

His pitching was never in question — he was the winning pitcher with six strong innings in the division series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies — but he came out firing anyway Friday in the top of the first when he struck out two Brewers on 100-mph fastballs and another on an 88-mph breaking ball.

In the bottom of the first, he finally shut everybody up when he connected on a full-count slurve from the Brewers’ lefty starter Jose Quintana and drove it into oblivion.

Nearly the same scene repeated itself in the fourth inning, two strikeouts followed by a deafening home run against Chad Patrick.

By then, he was so overpowering in so many ways, in the sixth inning fans started a cheer with a timing likely never before heard at a baseball game.

They chanted, “MVP…MVP…MVP”...while Ohtani was on the mound.

When Ohtani finally left the game in the seventh after giving up a walk and a single, organist Dieter Ruehle played, “Jesus Christ Superstar” while the stadium shook with a prolonged standing ovation.

But he wasn’t done yet.

After finishing with six scoreless, two-hit, 10-strikeout innings on the mound, he came out of the dugout again in the seventh. For most great pitchers, they’d only emerge for a curtain call. But this being Ohtani, he was still in the game, and for pitcher Trevor MeGill, it was curtains.

The fastball disappeared into the crowd and what eventually emerged was surely the greatest postseason stat line in baseball history.

Read more:Shaikin: Shohei Ohtani could pull off a playoff feat even Babe Ruth never achieved

Three home runs at the plate, six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts on the mound, in an NLCS game that sent his team to the World Series.

Before the game, Manager Dave Roberts basically called it, saying, “I think this is his opportunity to make his mark on this series. And, so, we're going to see his best effort. So, I feel good that he's pitching for us.”

Pitching and hitting and winning, all at heights never before reached in the long history of this grand old game.

Unbelievable.

Ohhhhhtani.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Thursday’s report in the New York Postthat the Detroit Tigers and Cy Young Award-winner Tarik Skubal were $250 million apart on contract value landed as a significant development in this winter’s starting pitching trade market -- a market in which the Mets will be involved.

If team and player are that far apart 12 months before Skubal hits free agency, it is logical to assume that the Tigers will explore trades.

Might Skubal remain with Detroit next season? Sure. But the Post story seemed like a big move in the other direction. A subsequent report in the Detroit Free Press added that the Tigers last year offered Skubal a four-year contract for less than $100 million.

Leaks like this more frequently precede baseball breakups than they do marriages.

The Mets are looking for pitching. In fact, they would love to have a best-in-class ace as soon as possible.

Paul Skenes is the dream target for any club seeking an ace, but teams that would be interested do not expect the Pittsburgh Pirates to make Skenes available. The Mets should call the Pirates just to be sure, but now Skubal seems far more attainable.

If (when?) the Tigers do take calls on Skubal, expect the Mets to be motivated and involved. While I don’t think the Mets would deal Nolan McLean for one year of any player -- McLean is part of the future, not a trade piece -- the Mets surely know that they would have to discuss just about any other prospect or young player to land Skubal.

Because the Tigers are in their window to win, they would probably want MLB talent in addition to top prospects like Jonah Tong and Jett Williams. For what it’s worth, Detroit has expressed interest in Brett Baty in the past.  

The Mets like Baty, but in general are willing to shake up their current position player group. For a pitcher like Skubal, any team would part with good players.

With Tigers ace Tarik Skubal a year away from free agency, the possibility exists that Detroit will make him available via trade this offseason while seeking a massive haul in return.

And Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the gap in what the Tigers have offered and what Skubal is seeking could be roughly $250 million.

The report from The Post regarding Detroit's offer is similar to one that came out last November from Evan Petzold in The Detroit Free Press, who noted that the Tigers' offer at the time was non-competitive.

Meanwhile, Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch gave a bit of a weird answer earlier this month when asked about a possible Skubal extension. 

Adding more intrigue to the situation is the fact that the 28-year-old left-hander is repped by Scott Boras, who ordinarily takes his biggest clients to free agency. 

That means the calculus for the Tigers could be simple: trade Skubal this offseason and maximize his value, or run the risk of losing him for draft pick compensation after the 2026 season.

In a world where Skubal is available this offseason, the Mets would almost certainly be very interested and in a strong position to make a highly competitive offer.

New York's farm system is among the best in baseball, and was recently rated by ESPN as the No. 1 system in MLB.

With Skubal one year from free agency, the cost to acquire him would be lower than a scenario where he had multiple years of team control left, but it would still be huge. 

It's unclear what the Tigers would be seeking, but the Mets have blue chip pitching prospects and hitting prospects who are close to the majors and others who are further away. So it's fair to believe they'd be able to put together a package that piques Detroit's interest. 

Among the Mets' top prospects are pitchers Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, center fielder Carson Benge, first baseman Ryan Clifford, third baseman Jacob Reimer, and shortstop Elian Peña.

As far as Nolan McLean, it's hard to envision the Mets including him in a deal for any player who is a pending free agent. 

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Ahead of the 2025 season, it was fair to wonder whetherBrett Baty was about to get his last, best chance to show he could be a big part of the Mets' future.

In parts of three seasons with New York after making his debut late during the 2022 season, Baty's performance at the plate wasn't just underwhelming -- there also seemed to be a confidence issue.

Over 602 plate appearances spanning 169 games between 2022 and 2024, Baty slashed just .215/.282/.325 with 15 homers. He hit the ball on the ground way too much, had too many poor at-bats, and watched as the Mets' long-term third base job seemingly slipped away.

But while Mark Vientos staked his third base claim in 2024 as he popped 27 homers in 111 regular season games before having a power surge during New York's run to the NLCS, he relinquished it in 2025 -- leading to an opportunity for Baty, who also got plenty of time at second base.

And even though Baty didn't break the door down once given his chance, he finally started to put it all together.

In 432 plate appearances spanning 130 games this past season, Baty hit .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs and 13 doubles. His .748 OPS dwarfed his previous career-best OPS of .633, his OPS+ of 111 was solidly above league average, and his defense at third base was smooth and reliable.

But with the Mets entering an offseason where the offensive core could be shaken up, could Baty be impacted?

Should Baty be part of the calculus going forward, or is it time to explore a trade?

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO LET BATY GO

Baty did a lot of things right in 2025, but he still hits the ball on the ground a ton.

His 51.0 percent groundball rate was improved from 2024 (54.5 percent) but still well above the MLB average of 44.2 percent. Baty also strikes out at a pretty high clip for someone who doesn't hit for a lot of power. And he won't make an impact on the bases.

It can be argued, though, that it's not really Baty's performance/profile that could make his situation tenuous, but the presence of others.

In other words, with Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Brandon Nimmo locked in, it's hard to envision the Mets making a big offensive addition unless it's at third base or first base. 

If that move comes at first base in the form of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, perhaps they'll simply slot Baty back in at third base. But in a world where New York re-signs Pete Alonso, would they be comfortable handing third base to Baty and basically running back the same offense that was so hit-or-miss in 2025?

What if Alonso walks, the Mets miss on Murakami, and sign/trade for a stopgap first baseman for 2026 who doesn't offer a ton offensively?

In that scenario, it's fair to think they'd look to bolster the offense elsewhere, with third base being a sensible spot to upgrade. And if they go that route, free agent Alex Bregman -- who is a plus offensive player and a plus defender -- could make a lot of sense.

Baty can also play second base, but the presence of top prospect Jett Williams -- whose big league debut should come in 2026 -- complicates the long-term view there. 

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP BATY

In addition to Baty's standard offensive numbers, his advanced metrics also told a nice story in 2025.

His bat speed was elite, while his hard hit percentage, barrel percentage, and xSLG were all well above average. Baty was also above average when it came to xwOBA, average exit velocity, and chase percentage.

And while the Mets possibly shaking up the offense might make Baty's future a little more uncertain than it would have otherwise been, his ability to play strong defense at third base is a huge plus to consider as David Stearns and the front office look to fortify the team's run prevention.

Even in a world where the Mets aren't sold on Baty as a starting player or simply want to go in a different direction at third base, he could still provide lots of value as a versatile bench player capable of handling third base, second base, and perhaps corner outfield in a pinch. He could also theoretically be part of the answer at designated hitter. 

There's also Baty's age (26 for all of next season), cost, and team control to consider.

He won't become arbitration-eligible until after the 2026 season, is under team control through 2029, and made just $774,000 in 2025.

So the Mets have no reason to be in a rush to make a final determination on Baty. 

VERDICT

Unless there's a potential trade partner that locks in on Baty as a key target in a deal that would bring an impact player back to New York, it should be an easy choice to keep him.

Depending on how the offseason goes, Baty could enter the season as the starting third baseman, second baseman, or a key bench player.

And while Williams and Benge should be lineup options at some point in 2026, it will be a big surprise if either player is part of the plan by Opening Day.

There's also a possibility that the Mets trade Jeff McNeil this offseason. The departure of McNeil, who is entering the final year of his contract, would make the presence of Baty even more important.

 

 

A smile started to form on the face of Dodgers closer Roki Sasaki as he described his disposition in the bullpen.

“Every time,” Sasaki said, “I’m praying the starter will pitch a complete game.”

The Japanese speakers in the Dodger Stadium interview room broke into laughter.

The overwhelming performance of the Dodgers in this postseason has created an atmosphere in which even the famously introverted Sasaki feels comfortable joking in front of reporters.

With a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, the Dodgers extended their lead in the National League Championship Series to three games to none.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

They improved to 8-1 in these playoffs.

The only reason there’s any doubt whether the Dodgers will repeat as World Series champions is because of their heart-attack-inducing bullpen, and now that group has started taking shape under the guidance of manager Dave Roberts.

What felt like wishful thinking has become an actual roadmap to victory, with Alex Vesia and Blake Treinen taking down key outs late in the game before giving way to Sasaki, the converted starter with a 100-mph fastball and vanishing forkball.

The organization’s vision came together in Game 3, as the bullpen was entrusted with covering the 3 ⅓ innings that remained after starter Tyler Glasnow’s removal.

With Vesia recording two outs and Treinen taking down two more, Roberts had to find a bridge to Sasaki. He called on Anthony Banda, who pitched just once in the three previous weeks.

Banda pitched a perfect eighth inning against the heart of the Brewers’ order, retiring Brice Turang, William Contreras and Christian Yelich in succession. The night ended with Sasaki becoming the first pitcher to register each of his first three career saves in the postseason.

“The thing about our guys is they’re battle tested,” Roberts said, “and I’ve never lost faith in them.”

The truth was, he didn’t have a choice.

Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the team’s two high-priced bullpen additions from the offseason, aren’t on the active roster.

The dynamic forced Roberts to continue riding Vesia, who near the end of the regular season looked as if he could be running out of gas after making a career-high 68 appearances. Roberts also had to continue depending on the 37-year-old Treinen, who last month was described by a rival scout as “finished.”

Perhaps the most significant wager placed by Roberts and the front office was on Sasaki, who had no previous experience pitching out of the bullpen.

As overpowering as Sasaki was in his two relief appearances in the final week of the regular season, as breathtaking as he was in closing out the NL wild-card series against the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers couldn’t be certain what they could expect from him.

Their fears were realized in Game 1 of this series. Four days removed from a three-inning relief appearance against the Phillies in the NLDS, Sasaki nearly blew a two-run lead he inherited from Blake Snell in the ninth inning. Treinen replaced Sasaki with two outs and recorded the final out in the 2-1 victory.

Was Sasaki exhausted?

“Physically, there was no problem,” Sasaki said. “However, without me realizing it, I think my delivery probably crumbled and something was a little off.”

Sasaki said he spent the two days between Games 1 and 3 working on slowing down his delivery.

The first pitch he threw on Thursday night was a ball to Andrew Vaughn, but the pitch was clocked at 99.7 mph. He touched 99.8 mph later in the at-bat.

Vaughn was retired on a spectacular defensive play by shortstop Mookie Betts. Sal Frelick popped up. Caleb Durbin struck out.

This being Sasaki’s sixth postseason game, the performance temporarily subsided concerns about the right-hander’s ability to withstand an October workload. Dodger Stadium could resume celebrating him.

In a short time, Sasaki has become one of the team’s most popular players, with chants of “Ro-ki” frequently breaking out while he is on the mound.

He emerges from the bullpen to “Bailalo Rocky,” a song by Yoan Retro and Ariadne Arana. Sasaki revealed the song was pushed on to him by reserve infielder Miguel Rojas, who noticed that “Rocky” said with a Latin American accent sounds similar to Sasaki’s first name.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“From the start of the season, especially at Dodger Stadium, I couldn’t pitch the way I wanted,” Sasaki said. “Since I came back (from the injured list) as a reliever and started performing in a way that better represents who I am, I’ve seen the scenery gradually change. I’m thinking that will lead to something in the future.”

Not only for him but also for the Dodgers.

Considering how thoroughly they have outplayed their opponents in this postseason, how great would the Dodgers be if they had a half-decent bullpen?

With Sasaki closing, and with Treinen and Vesia in front of him, they could be on the verge of finding out.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Shohei Ohtani has done next to nothing in the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers could sweep their way into the World Series on Friday, with Ohtani as a footnote in the NLCS story, but baseball’s best player has a flair for the dramatic.

Bring on the latest Babe Ruth comparison!

Baseball’s contemporary two-way superstar can do something Friday that baseball’s original two-way superstar never did.

Ruth started three postseason games as a pitcher, never hitting a home run in those games. Ohtani starts his second postseason game as a pitcher Friday, looking for his first postseason home run as a pitcher.

Read more:Dodgers capitalize on their chances to beat Brewers and take 3-0 NLCS lead

He could hit a home run and be the winning pitcher Friday, because why not?

“I feel like Shohei is a superhero character,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said.

In the division series, Ohtani had one hit in 18 at-bats, with nine strikeouts. After the Dodgers clinched, this was catcher Will Smith: “He didn’t do much this series. I expect next series for him to come out and hit like five homers. That’s just who he is.”

In this series, Ohtani has two hits in 11 at-bats, with five strikeouts. Over the NLDS and NLCS, he is batting .103 with no home runs, and he has struck out in 48% of his at-bats.

He has not hit five home runs in this series, as Smith had optimistically anticipated.

“I’m hoping he will tomorrow,” Smith said Thursday.

If a player has a rough week or two in June and changes up his routine, you might hear about it for a couple of minutes on the pregame show. Ohtani had a rough week or two in October and decided to take batting practice on the field instead of in the indoor cages Wednesday, and it became MAJOR BREAKING INTERNATIONAL NEWS.

Not just for fans, the ones that have made his jersey baseball’s best seller, and the ones set to flock to the grand opening of a Tokyo pop-up gallery Friday, featuring vinyl albums that pay homage to the walk-up songs and anthems of Ohtani and other major league stars.

Ohtani’s teammates came out to watch that rare outdoor batting practice. The sound guys cranked up an extra dose of Michael Bublé. And, because it was Ohtani, he hit a ball off the roof of the right-field pavilion.

So, no, the Dodgers aren’t worried. And, no, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t about to move Ohtani down in the lineup.

“Obviously, Shohei's not performing the way he would like or we expect,” Roberts said. “But I just know how big of a part he is to this thing.

“We've got a long way to go. But I just like the work he's putting in. And I'll bet on him all day long.”

For Ohtani’s hitting, pitching has been his kryptonite this season. In his 15 starts, including the one in the NLDS, he is batting .207, and he has struck out in 43% of his at-bats.

“I don't necessarily think that the pitching has affected my hitting performance,” Ohtani said Wednesday. “Just on the pitching side, as long as I control what I can control, I feel pretty good about putting up results. On the hitting side, just the stance, the mechanics, that’s something that I do. It’s a constant work in progress.”

There was some progress Thursday, when Ohtani tripled to lead off the first inning. On the next pitch, Mookie Betts doubled him home.

“It’s kind of like the Bulls playing without Michael Jordan sometimes,” Betts told TBS after the game. “So we get him going and then it’s really going to be hard to beat. You see what happens immediately. As soon as he gets a hit, good things happen. But he’s going to be there.

“He’s going to be there when the time is right. We all trust and believe in Shohei.”

Before the NLCS, Roberts was blunt about Ohtani’s offensive struggles.

“We’re not gonna win the World Series with that sort of performance,” Roberts said.

That sort of performance has continued, and the Dodgers are undefeated since then. That makes it easier to believe in Ohtani, and in what he might deliver on Friday.

Read more:Plaschke: Are these Dodgers the best postseason team in baseball history? They will be

“I’m expecting nothing short of incredible,” infielder Max Muncy said.

“All in all, I’m expecting Shohei to pitch a great game, and whatever he does offensively is just kind of icing on the cake at that point. It’s a tough thing to pitch and hit in the same game, especially in a postseason game. He’s going to be fine.”

The Ruth comparison only goes so far. When he pitched in the postseason, he was primarily a pitcher, twice batting ninth. He made 145 pitches in his first postseason start, a 14-inning complete-game victory.

That is about all we can say Ohtani will not do. The Dodgers are so deep that, Roberts’ fear notwithstanding, they could win the World Series with a slumping Ohtani. They did that last year, in fact.

However, with one mighty swing, Friday’s storyline could be less about what he did not do and more about what Ruth could not do. Champagne showers are in the forecast.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.