Dodgers Fan Fest Missing One: Shohei Ohtani Says, "I'm Not the World Series MVP"

The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted their fan appreciation event, DodgerFest, at their home stadium today. Japanese two-way player Shohei Ohtani was present to interact with fans and displayed his playful humor by joking about teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s absence, eliciting continuous laughter from the audience.

During the event, Ohtani was interviewed by the host of the Dodgers’ flagship sports radio station, AM570 LA Sports. When asked about Yamamoto’s absence, the host jokingly inquired if Yamamoto had become complacent after winning the World Series and being named MVP last year. Ohtani smiled and replied, “He didn’t come today either, and he outright declined. I guess there might be a bit of that feeling, yeah.”

The host then teased that although Ohtani has won the annual MVP award four times and still attends fan events personally, Yamamoto, who just won the World Series MVP, was absent. Ohtani self-deprecatingly responded, “I’m not the World Series MVP; he is.” This once again sparked laughter throughout the venue.

At this fan meet-and-greet, the Dodgers’ three Japanese pillars were missing one member. Ohtani, interviewed alongside Roki Sasaki, was asked how many rice balls he eats on game days. Ohtani humorously replied, “I’m not really sure. I think Yamamoto probably eats the most!”

Ohtani had previously referred to Yamamoto as a “little lion” on social media. The host asked if Yamamoto had grown into a “mighty lion” after his World Series experience. Ohtani joked again, “I thought he had grown up, but since he didn’t come today, I think he’s still a little baby!”

When discussing his popularity in Japan, Ohtani remained humble, saying he hasn’t returned to Japan recently and hasn’t felt it firsthand. When the host half-jokingly asked if he worried that longtime SEIKO watch endorsement partner Yamamoto might “steal” his spot, Ohtani immediately laughed and denied it: “We’ve been working together for years; I don’t think Yamamoto’s taking over anytime soon!”

At the end of the interview, Ohtani spoke about his goals for the new season, candidly stating that winning a third consecutive World Series title is his biggest wish. “The most important thing is to stay healthy and keep playing every day. If I can do that, I believe there’s a chance to achieve the three-peat.”