After an astonishing postseason performance – 12 total bases, three home runs and 10 strikeouts in a single game – Shohei Ohtani has earned praise from across the sporting world.
Among the loudest endorsements came from Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner and tennis great Billie Jean King, whose public message carried more than mere congratulations.
“We were so fortunate to have witnessed the greatest performance by Shohei Ohtani as both a pitcher and hitter: 10 strikeouts and 3 home runs. And he’s just getting started,” King wrote.
Her words read like a warning shot to the rest of Major League Baseball. For the Dodgers, the sentiment is especially sharp.
Tennis icon King‘s statement doesn’t just celebrate a milestone – it signals that Shohei Ohtani‘s dominance is now an existential priority for rivals across the sport.
With the regular season ended and the postseason fully underway, the message to other clubs is clear: prepare for a different era.
Shohei Ohtani leaves the Dodgers’ rivals quivering
Billie Jean King’s endorsement carries multiple layers of significance. First, it comes from someone accustomed to transcending sport. As one of the greatest athletes in tennis history, she knows what true greatness looks like.
When she labels Ohtani‘s performance in those exact terms – “greatest performance” as both a pitcher and hitter – her words become part of the narrative that he’s not just among the best, but possibly changing the game.
The timing couldn’t be more strategic. The Dodgers now head to the World Series as defending champions, with Ohtani positioned as the centerpiece of their chase for back-to-back titles.
His value goes beyond statistics – he’s a global phenomenon, a marketing engine, and now a symbol of dominance. Billie Jean King‘s message amplifies all this.
Additionally, the warning is for the other 29 MLB teams. To quote King‘s phrasing: “we were so fortunate to have witnessed … and he’s just getting started.”
There’s no casual hint in those words. The implication is that what Los Angeles have built around Ohtani is still in its early phases. For rivals, that’s unsettling.
It suggests that many of the games ahead aren’t just about beating a team – they’re about resisting an ascending force.
For Ohtani himself, the weight of expectation grows. He remains characteristically humble, crediting the team and deflecting legend-building around him. But now the legend is catching up to him.
With King’s support, the definition of “elite” shifts. Ohtani isn’t just a superstar – he’s the benchmark.
How do MLB rivals catch the Dodgers?
Teams chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers must now deal not only with the roster across the diamond but with the idea that the Dodgers‘ prime weapon is already operating on a different plane.
Billie Jean King‘s words will hang over the postseason: a quiet declaration that the greatest performance witnessed may only be the prelude.
In the season’s biggest moments, where measurable growth and deafening pressure collide, Shohei Ohtani has reached a point where legacy echoes loudly. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, the message is both a proclamation and a challenge: Stand down or step aside.
Ultimately, Billie Jean King‘s recognition validates what many already believe but few are bold enough to say.
The rest of the league can acknowledge it now – or watch as the Los Angeles Dodgers, with Shohei Ohtani in command, continue to set a new standard that leaves the competition chasing shadows.
Read the full article here
