On Friday, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani spoke about the toll of not being able to play in the Major League Baseball postseason each of the last six years with the Los Angeles Angels.
Ohtani, through his interpreter, called it “really a mixed, complicated feeling not being able to participate in the postseason.”
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The Angels never qualified for the playoffs as Ohtani won the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year award, and the AL MVP awards in 2021 and 2023. A four-time All-Star, Ohtani went 38-19 as a pitcher in 86 starts for the Angels, while also averaging 41 home runs and 97 RBIs in the last three seasons before signing with the Dodgers in Dec. 2023.
For MLB, the absence of its most marketable player on the field during its most visible time of the season offered no mixed feelings. It was a bummer.
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Now, the league is taking advantage of its ability to showcase Ohtani prominently in its postseason marketing campaigns.
Via its social media channels, MLB released a 30-second spot starring Otani and New York Yankees star Aaron Judge entitled “Once in a Generation. Twice.”
The Yankees and Dodgers play their first games of the 2024 postseason Saturday. The Dodgers are hosting the San Diego Padres, and the Yankees are hosting the Kansas City Royals.
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Ohtani also features in MLB‘s “Postseason Season” spot, showcasing the excitement of October baseball as the seasons change.
The Ohtani marketing machine will be most visible in his native Japan.
Earlier this week, MLB plastered more than 100 out-of-home pieces of advertising around Tokyo. Each media placement and billboard features imagery of one specific home run or stolen base from Ohtani’s record-breaking season, along with the date and number.
This year, Ohtani became the first known player in major league history to steal 50 bases and hit 50 home runs in the same season. He hit 54 homers and stole 59 bases, in addition to his league-leading 134 runs, 130 RBIs, and 1.036 OPS. These facts were not lost on passersby at Tokyo’s Shibuya station.
Had a mad dash today to Shibuya, Roppongi and Shimo-Kitazawa to see at least some part of this campaign with Ohtani’s 54/59!!!!
😭🙏🏻💖⚾️ pic.twitter.com/jugIZCaMEa— 🌸MATTEO 🌸マッテオ (@MatteoLuu) October 2, 2024
Ohtani is already a major celebrity in Japan. As a member of the Nippon Ham Fighters, he helped carry his team to the Japan Series championship in 2016. He pitched as a closer and starred as a designated hitter in the Climax Series.
Still, the ability to capitalize on his fame in October was an opportunity MLB was not willing to pass up.
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