MLB World Series 2024: Yankees vs Dodgers baseball schedule, preview & five talking points

To say that Shohei Ohtani has had an eventful first year with the Dodgers would be the greatest of understatements.

Having moved across town after six years with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani signed a 10-year contract worth a record-breaking $700m (£558m), agreeing to defer the majority of his salary to allow the Dodgers to strengthen elsewhere.

Before he had even made his debut, Ohtani caused a social media stir in his native Japan by announcing he had married, sparking weeks of speculation before he revealed his wife’s identity.

His long-time interpreter was fired by the Dodgers and arrested in connection with a multi-million-dollar fraud relating to illegal gambling, to which the interpreter has now pleaded guilty.

Back on the field, Ohtani’s dog Decoy “threw out” the ceremonial first pitch in a game against the Baltimore Orioles in August, but the hound on the mound was eclipsed in September when his master became the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season. The ’50-50 baseball’, whose ownership is disputed, was sold at auction for $4.4m (£3.39m) earlier this week.

While part of Ohtani’s allure comes from his rare status as a ‘two-way’ player, able to play at the highest level as both a hitter and a pitcher, elbow surgery has meant he has not pitched in 2024, but his batting stats continue to impress.

And in his first appearance in the post-season, the sky is the limit for this undoubted global star.