“Shohei Ohtani’s dreamed about this since he was a kid”: Dave Roberts reflects on Dodgers star's season as they celebrate NL West Championship

On Thursday, Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts talked about Shohei Ohtani's exceptional performances, and how the Japanese International has realized a childhood dream by winning the NL West title with the Blues this season. Roberts heaped praise on his designated hitter, speaking to Sportsnet following the Dodgers' division clinching win on Thursday.

"It's unprecedented. This is something that I know Shohei's dreamed about ever since he was a young kid, and now he's living it in real time," Roberts said. [0:08]

Shohei Ohtani's 2024 campaign has been historic. Currently sitting at 53 home runs and 56 stolen bases, Ohtani became the 'founder' of the 50-50 club. With a .305 batting average and 1.030 OPS to add to that, the 30 year old is undoubtedly the odds-on favorite to win the NL MVP come the end of the season.

He's put on a show the last couple of weeks, and obviously, what a year he's having. We're gonna ride that horse, that thoroughbred, to the championship," Roberts added. [0:18]

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Dave Roberts expresses pride for Dodgers' fighting spirit, Shohei Ohtani talks about "special" night at home

On Thursday, the Dodgers clinched their latest NL West division title following a 7-2 win over rivals the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium, securing their 11th division title in 12 seasons.

It was not always smooth sailing for the Dodgers though, as they continue to deal with injuries to some of their most important players. Dave Roberts praised his team's fighting spirit, speaking to Dodgers' host Kirsten Watson following Thursday's victory.

"I couldn't be more proud of these guys, they fought and fought and fought, overcame adversity. We checked box number one, long way to go, but we're going to celebrate tonight. They just showed so much character, so much grit, so much fight." Roberts said [0:10]

Shohei Ohtani also spoke about a memorable evening in front of the home support, speaking to the press after winning his first title with the Dodgers in his first season since joining the Los Angeles Angels.

"For us players, and also for the fans, I think it was a special moment." Shohei Ohtani said via a translator [1:38]

The victory also has crucial ramifications for the Dodgers' plans of going all the way in the postseason, as the side with the best league record (currently the Dodgers) gets a first-round bye. Next, they head to Coors Field to take on the Colorado Rockies for the final three games of the campaign, aiming to finish off a successful campaign on a winning note.