Appreciating Shohei Ohtani - LA Dodgers coach celebrates three-time MVP: 'This guy is the elite of the elite'
Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel has known the now three-time MVP from Japan since his rookie year. "He truly deserves it," he says.
Baseball Softball
Enjoy Shohei Ohtani while you can. Because no one will play baseball like him ever again.
That's the message from Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel, who spoke with Olympics.com on Friday (22 November) in Tokyo, hours after Ohtani won his third MVP award - and his first in the National League.
“I don't know what's in the minor leagues or who they're drafting in different clubs. I hear there's more two-way players in the minor leagues trying it, pitching side, hitting side. But this guy is the elite of the elite. So if somebody's even close to him, they've got a pretty special player.
“We're happy that one, he's a Dodger and two, that he's MVP and he truly deserves it. Just many, many big hits for us, many big stolen bases.”
Third base coach Dino Ebel and Shohei Ohtani go back to the very beginning of the superstar's MLB career with the Los Angeles Angels.
Shohei Ohtani's 'work ethic is unbelivable'
Ebel is currently in town with Team USA for the Premier12 tournament. All of Japan woke up to the expected news on this day of Ohtani’s becoming the second player in MLB history to win MVP in both the American and National Leagues.
The 30-year-old two-way superstar previously won in 2021 and 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, where he made his Major League debut in 2018. Ebel, who back then was third base coach for the Dodgers’ crosstown team, has known Ohtani ever since he arrived stateside.
The sight of Ohtani high-fiving Ebel as he rounds third after hitting one of his monstrous home runs has become an all too familiar one, especially after a historic 2024 campaign in which the US$ 700 million unicorn clubbed 54 home runs and stole 59 bases in the sport’s first 50-50 season.
“I look back and see that day in Miami when he hit three home runs, 50-50, stole the bases,” Ebel said of the game on 19 September against the Marlins, when Ohtani went 6-for-6 including three homers, stole two bases and drove in 10 runs to reach the unprecedented mark.
“Just a super talented player who continues to want to get better and now for next year, he's going to start to pitch again. So, exciting for the Dodgers and for Shohei.”
Ebel, 58, has been around the game for a long time but he has never seen anyone with Ohtani’s talent and perhaps more importantly, drive. It is the latter which separates Ohtani from the other stars, past and present, Ebel says.
“Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, a bunch of superstar elite Hall of Famers. Vlad Guerrero Sr. But Shohei is just unique because one, there’s not really anybody who does them both,” Ebel said.
“That's the difference to me, just to watch the daily work, everyday routine, how he prepares on the offensive side and now I got to see him prepare bullpens and the training part of the pitching side of it.
“And it's just incredible, every day, to see what he goes through in the weight room. A lot of people don't know what he does. His routine, he's just constantly working on his body and he just wants to be the best player and that's what he strives to do. His work ethic is just unbelievable.
“Again, there's a lot of guys who have great work ethic - Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, name after name, but he's just a little bit more special because one, it's hard to hit in the big leagues and he does that. And two, it's hard to pitch in the big leagues and to do both is just an incredible sight to see for a coach like me.”
Apr 23, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with Dodgers third baseman coach Dino Ebel (91) while rounding the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Shohei Ohtani will be good 'for a long time'
Still recovering from elbow surgery last year, Ohtani won his third MVP as a full-time designated hitter, which is also a first for baseball.
In 2025, when the Dodgers open the season in Japan at Tokyo Dome on 18-19 March against the Chicago Cubs, Ohtani is set to return to the mound. However, exactly when has become a bit murky after he tore the labrum in his left shoulder during the World Series. He is expected to be ready for spring training after having surgery earlier this month.
But when Ohtani does pitch again, Ebel anticipates he will still be able to maintain his output at the plate from this season or near it - maybe minus some stolen bases. And Ebel can’t wait to see the complete version of Sho-Time.
“What he did this year offensively - big hits, big homers, stealing 50-plus bases and hitting 50 home runs and helping us win a World Series - now he's going to start to pitch. So really, our Dodger fans haven't seen the other side of Shohei; they've only seen one side of him.
“I’m excited, just to see him hopefully get back healthy. I mean, it's going to be something to watch for myself and all of us because to have him on each side of the ball offensively and defensively, it's going to be a great sight to see.
“This year he knew he wasn't pitching so he was trying to go all out on the bases and the offensive side. But he's going to hit - this guy, I mean it's hard to hit 50 home runs every year but I think offensively the bat's going to be there.
“It's easy for me to say, well of course he's pitching so the numbers are going to come down offensively. But knowing Shohei, he sets the goals so high that he's continued to just keep good offensive numbers and now we have good pitching alongside it.”
The frightening part for the rest of the league is that Ohtani is in Year 1 of a 10-year contract with the Dodgers. What’s he going to do over the next nine years?
Ron Roenicke, special assistant to Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes and USA bench coach, said the ultimate key criteria will be health. As long as Ohtani stays fit, the production will take care of itself. Hence, the Dodgers giving him a record-breaking deal.
“We need to see what's going to happen with the pitching part. I don't know how many years he could continue to do both pitching and hitting so I think it's just trying to look at the long term and what value he brings to us,” Roenicke said.
“Is it on the pitching end? Obviously, bulk is huge, as we saw with the Angels, so I think it just kind of fits into what we see is going to happen in the future.
“Year 10, is he still going to be pitching? I don't know if he's not. Maybe he's playing in the outfield somewhere - I don't know. I’m sure he'd be good out there, too.
“So I think in the long term, because of the way he works, I expect him to really kind of keep that level. Like with Mike Trout, you kind of saw the level is there when he's on the field. He's had a lot of injuries that have kept him performing on the total numbers and it's more like with Shohei, too.
“We just we need to keep him healthy, keep him on the field and I think he's going to put up big numbers for a long time.”