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On Dec. 9, Shohei Ohtani inked a historic 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a total value of $700 million, or $70 million per season, Ohtani's contract is the largest in MLB history by a wide margin.
With the deal having taken hold, fans are already circling their calendars for key dates to catch Shohei Ohtani in action for his new team. Let's take a look at some dates in 2024 that are set to be Sho-time.
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The Dodgers' 2024 pre-season will open with a game against the San Diego Padres on Feb. 22 at Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona. On March 20 and 21, the two teams will converge again for the first regular season match of the year. Interestingly, this mini-series is set to take place in Seoul, South Korea.
On March 26, Ohtani will have the chance to see his old team, the Los Angeles Angels, for the first time since leaving. The meeting will be one of the Dodgers' final spring training games.
On March 28, the Dodgers will play host to the St. Louis Cardinals in their home opener. In this game, Ohtani will, in theory, have the chance to play against Lars Nootbar. Nootbar was born in California to an American father and Japanese mother. In March, the outfielder was by Ohtani's side on Team Japan as the Asian nation claimed victory at the World Baseball Classic.
Between April 26 and 28, Ohtani and company will be north of the border to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Until the very end of Shohei Ohtani's free agency, the Jays were seen as favorites to land him. Fans even tracked a flight from California to Toronto in anticipation of a contract announcement. Alas, it was not to be.
Meetings with the Mets and New York Yankees are scheduled for late May and early June respectively. Ohtani was seen as a possibility for both deep-pocketed teams until news of the Dodgers deal broke.
2024 could be Shohei Ohtani's biggest year yet
Expecting another big season out of the defending AL MVP is hardly a hot take. However, with each season of play, Ohtani has shown himself to be that much sturdier, quicker, and focused than the last.
Although injury will shut Shohei Ohtani down from throwing in 2024, Los Angeles Dodgers fans are correct to be excited. With the expectations of the world on his shoulders, Ohtani likely is too.
