"Shohei Ohtani has got the weight of a country on his shoulders" - Dodgers manager in disbelief over Japanese phenom handling pressure

Three-time MVP and Japanese star Shohei Ohtani has been captivating MLB fans since he arrived in the majors in 2018. But with what goes behind the scenes during the practice and everything else, even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts can't seem to understand how Ohtani manages to do so many things together.

Ohtani's relentless work ethic makes him stand out. Despite the high expectations from fans, teammates, and the organization, Ohtani always seems unbothered by it all.

During Friday's appearance on Sean Casey's "The Mayor's Office" podcast, Roberts spoke highly of Shohei Ohtani carrying the weight of the whole country and still nailing it.

"You know what, I—I don't know. I think it certainly comes with his head, and I say head because he's been a superstar for a long time," Roberts said (11:08 onwards). "He's got the weight of a country on his shoulders. He's had that for quite some time, and so he has really understood how to compartmentalize, how to deal with it."

"He does a very good job of controlling whatever emotions and channeling them in the right way," Roberts added. "I don’t know how he does it. I don't know how he handles anxiety because, you know, we all have anxiety when we have certain expectations. But when you have the expectation to be the best player of all time—how he manages it, I just don’t know, Case."

Shohei Ohtani set to play in Japan soon as Dodgers take on Cubs

The first regular season game of the 2025 season between the LA Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs on Mar. 18 at Tokyo Dome will mark the return of two-way star Shohei Ohtani to play in his country after eight years.

The Oshu native is expected to play in the regular season opener alongside other fellow countrymen including Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. For the Cubs, Japanese natives Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki will feature.

Before the two-game series on Mar. 18 and 19, Ohtani & Co. will take on the Hanshin Tigers on Mar. 16.