Dodgers fans are, naturally, fired up after witnessing history:

Justin – “HE IS SO BACK. FIRST OF MANY”

Dave Sae – “Shouts to the fellas for letting that mic breath like Vin would’ve, absolutely electric off the screen. First of many!”

35 – “Am i the only one that sees a unicorn running around the bases”

Smile – “Sho time is back”

Sam P – “Welcome to Dodgers shohei ohtani！！！”

Jesss – “I’ll remember exactly where I was when Ohtani hit his first homer as a dodger”

Militant Angeleno – “First HR in Blue was against the Giants. This man is TRULY a Dodger.”

Shohei Ohtani’s journey to the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers made arguably the most monumental move of the offseason when they signed Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million contract.

Ohtani took $680 million in deferred money that doesn’t kick in until 2034. It was an unprecedented deal that broke all records when it comes to deferred money.

Ohtani stated that he wanted to allow the Dodgers to bring in as much talent as possible. By backloading his deal, Los Angeles has more room to add to their roster while he is still playing.

Los Angeles immediately took advantage, signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million contract. They continued adding throughout the offseason, bringing in players such as Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton and Teoscar Hernandez. While Ohtani is considered one of, if not the, best player in baseball, he wanted to focus on winning rather than an immediate payout.

Ohtani ranks as the 18th-most expensive Dodger entering the 2024 campaign, via Spotrac. However, the slugger is sure to be one of the most valuable players in Los Angeles.

Due to an elbow injury, Ohtani won’t be pitching in 2024. While fans will have to wait to see the full effect of the two-way sensation, Ohtani has more than enough offensive pop to be a huge difference maker for Los Angeles.

Over his seven years in the major leagues, Ohtani has hit .274 with 171 home runs, 439 RBIs and 87 stolen bases. He is a three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, former Rookie of the Year and a two-time MVP.

Now, in a Dodgers lineup that sees Ohtani sandwiched between Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in the lineup, he’ll have ample opportunity to bat with someone on base while also seeing a lot of strikes.

Ohtani will have a chance to add to his total when the Dodgers travel to Chicago to take on the Cubs on Friday afternoon.