Shohei Ohtani’s Comeback: Is It Science or Instinct That Will Decide His Fate on the Mound?
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For example, when last Friday’s rain-delayed Mets/Dodgers game lasted until 1 a.m., Ohtani himself postponed the live pitching session that was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon. He threw — against hitters for the first time since surgery — on Sunday instead.
It’s a sound, simple strategy. Ask the player how they’re feeling, adjust as necessary.
There’s only one problem with that inexact science: it’s inexact science.
Ohtani is many things to the Dodgers. A DH, a leadoff hitter and, one day, a pitcher again. He is also a north star, a trajectory-altering colossus. The cornerstone of the operation. He is also a cash cow, an irreplaceable asset, and an expensive one at that. Even though the deferrals on Ohtani’s deal push its actual, inflation-adjusted total from the $700 million price tag closer to $460 million according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, it still represents a massive investment. But his value to the franchise, over the 10 years of his contract, is almost certain to stretch far beyond that figure. A recent estimate from the L.A. Times pegged Ohtani’s total influence on team revenue at $100 million a year. It could, given the scale of his superstardom, be even larger.
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