We can add recruiting superstars to Shohei Ohtani's list of talents.
Dodgers ace Tyler Glasnow on Mookie Betts' podcast, 'On Base with Mookie Betts' detailed how Ohtani's recruitment played a key role in his joining LA this offseason in free agency. While there was a video aimed at getting Glasnow to LA, the recruitment strategy had a two-fold impact, beginning with what Ohtani said.
"It essentially was, 'I hope you, like, sign with the Dodgers. And I want to hit a lot of home runs for you and the team' and stuff like that," Glasnow said. "And he's been doing it! It's been great!"
It's undeniable that Ohtani has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season. He's clocked 13 home runs and his .340 average leads the league. Pitching with a lineup featuring Ohtani was one selling point for Glasnow, but the fact the reigning MVP was making a recruitment pitch had an added layer of meaning for the 30-year-old pitcher.
"But it was awesome just for, I think the whole mentality of, I think at that point in my career and now it's like the most important thing to me is winning," Glasnow told Betts. "And I think him being on the team and making a video to try to get more players, and to take the deferred money it was like, if the goal is winning, this is the team to win on. It was a no-brainer for me."
So far Glasnow has been proven right. LA holds a 6.5-game lead in the National League West and they hold the second-best record in the NL. If Ohtani continues hitting the way he is in the Dodgers' loaded lineup, and if Glasnow continues pitching well atop the Dodgers' rotation, there should be plenty more winning ahead.
