Labar: Ohtani has been Clutch for Dodgers, Huge for MLB in 1st Postseason

By Abby Labar
Sportmoney Columnist

Would he pitch? How big of a fireworks show would explode on the big stage? Would he fold under pressure? Fresh off of making history and riding the high of MLB’s first 50/50 season, all eyes were on Shohei Ohtani entering his first postseason. What’s the game without the game's biggest star in the playoffs? How did we survive without him before?! Regardless of who your team is, you can’t deny that you’re turning on the television to see what this unicorn can do, especially with the momentum he had riding into the postseason. 

Now in the heart of the NLCS (for context I’m writing this ahead of game three vs. the Mets), the numbers are proving it. Per MLB Network research, Game 1 of the NLCS between the Mets and Dodgers averaged 8.26 million viewers, which was the highest televised LCS Game 1 since the 2009 ALCS Game 1 between the Angels and the Yankees. 

After we witnessed a good old fashioned Ohtani bomb in his first postseason game, we were all buckling up for what was in store. Since then some argue it’s been a below expectations performance, going 4-20 in the series against the Padres and 3-11 through three games against the Mets [Editor’s Note: Ohtani was 1-3 with a home run and 3 walks in Game 4].

But here’s the deal: When you’re talking about the playoffs in any sport, there is so much more that rides on one or two game-changing plays that could determine the outcome of not just one game but swing the momentum and ultimately decide a series. The best players and teams “find ways to win,” and when you look at the circumstances and scenarios of WHEN Ohtani has stepped up, that can trump the rest of his lackluster stats. 

That homer I mentioned above? That game-tying three-run shot off Dylan Cease in the bottom of the second was ultimately the tone setter for the Padres series. Jumping out to that 3-0 lead in the top of the first, which helped them win Game 1, was so important for the Dodgers’ confidence going into the rest of a tough series.

Then there is that one topic of conversation that we can’t stop discussing: Ohtani’s stats with runners in scoring position. Talk about a statistic that literally shows how a player can perform under pressure, when he knows his team is counting on him to produce. According to MLB Network research entering Game 4, he’s 17 for his last 20 with RISP (dating back to the regular season).  He’s the first player in the expansion era to have at least 17 hits in any 20 AB span with RISP. Specifically, in the playoffs he’s gone 5 for 6 with 2 homers in this scenario.  So sure his numbers aren’t his usual when the bases are empty, but come on people, give him a break. These are the numbers that count the most.

We all know our fair share of casual sports fans who admit that they really only watch baseball during the playoffs. But something about this entire season as a whole has felt different with how much people are paying attention to our game with this generational player at the helm of it. Back to our MLB Network research numbers, the Dodgers led the majors in the regular season, averaging 48,657 fans per game — which was up from 2023 where yes they still led the majors but were averaging a little over 1,000 fewer fans a game. Could one argue this all points to Shohei Ohtani wearing Dodger blue? Let’s just remind you that the Dodgers were a 100-win team the year prior.

As far as attendance for the postseason goes, Dodger Stadium is averaging over 53,000 fans, and here is what those numbers look like specifically compared to the year prior:

I mean hello…that’s about 2,000 more fans per home game this postseason vs. last. It’s not a coincidence that Ohtani is the main difference here. He’s just scratching the surface when it comes to his career, and to see how his first postseason plays out has been a unique opportunity for all of us. He has given sports fans a reason to really bond over our admiration of such an incredible player. Here’s to many more years of this in our sport.