The Los Angeles Dodgers are gearing up to defend their 2024 World Series title, and they are looking like strong contenders once again. This year, they have bolstered their roster with the addition of Japanese standout Roki Sasaki, lefty Blake Snell, relievers Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, infielder Hyeseong Kim, and outfielder Michael Conforto.
With a reported payroll of $379 million, the Dodgers now boast the largest payroll in baseball history.
Despite the star-studded lineup, Shohei Ohtani remains the Dodgers’ global superstar. Ohtani, coming off his third MVP award (his first in the National League), made history as Major League Baseball’s first 50-50 player.
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Ohtani is expected to make a significant impact for the Dodgers. After missing last season due to elbow surgery, Ohtani is set to return to the mound. He recently showcased his progress by throwing his first bullpen session in Glendale, Arizona, reaching speeds of 92 to 94 mph with his fastballs.
Manager Dave Roberts praised Ohtani’s performance, stating, “For a first day, that’s great.” Roberts highlighted Ohtani’s focus on velocity and pitch movement during the session.
“He was looking early on velocity, and then he was looking for his two-seamer, the depth and movement of the two-seamer,” Roberts added, via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “So just to kind of line it with what he feels. But it’s interesting that he’s very good at knowing what his stuff does, and so a lot of his thoughts line up with what the metric says.”
Roberts anticipates that Ohtani could face hitters by the end of spring training camp, ahead of the team’s Tokyo series against the Chicago Cubs. However, Ohtani is not expected to participate in Cactus League games.
It is projected that Ohtani will be ready to pitch by May, marking his return to the mound after almost two years. Until then, the Dodgers will rely on a rotation featuring Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Sasaki, with several pitchers vying for the fifth spot.
Ohtani’s standout season as a pitcher came in 2022, where he recorded a 15-9 record, 2.33 ERA, and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings. With a career ERA of 3.01 and an impressive strikeout rate, Ohtani’s return to the pitching mound is highly anticipated by Dodgers fans.