LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani got what he came for when he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers: a trip to the World Series.
“I really feel like we finally arrived. I finally arrived at this stage,” Ohtani said through a translator after Sunday night’s 10-5 win over the New York Mets finished the NL Championship Series in six games.
Ohtani hit .364 with two homers, six RBIs, nine walks and a 1.184 OPS against the Mets, including two hits and an RBI in Game 6. He’s batting .286 with three homers and 10 RBIs over 11 games in his first postseason heading into the World Series starting Friday against the New York Yankees.
When he signed his record $700 million, 10-year contract last December, Ohtani agreed to defer $68 million annually to give the team payroll flexibility. The Dodgers signed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, traded for pitcher Tyler Glasnow and signed outfielder Teoscar Hernández, among other moves.
“The goal was to get to this far,” Ohtani said, “and I also pictured myself getting this far with the contract that I’ve signed.”