Dodgers Exec Sends Clear Message to MLB Amid Shohei Ohtani Cold Streak

Los Angeles Dodgers president Andrew Friedman has delivered a strong message to Major League Baseball (MLB) amid a recent cold streak from star player Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani's performance has been inconsistent since returning from an injury at the end of September, with only two hits in four postseason games. Despite his slow start, Friedman remains confident in Ohtani's abilities, stating, "In my opinion, (Ohtani) is the best player in the world."

Friedman's faith in Ohtani is well-founded, as the player has consistently been one of the premier players in MLB over the past several seasons. Even with injuries hampering his 2026 season, Ohtani still managed to hit 30 homers and drive in 81 RBIs over 139 games as a batter, maintaining an impressive OPS of .889. When healthy, Ohtani poses a significant threat to any opponent, as evidenced by his historic performances in the past.

Prior to this year, he had hit over 50 homers in each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers, earning two NL MVP awards. The Dodgers secured a 3-1 series victory against the Atlanta Braves in the NL Division Series (NLDS), setting up a rematch of last year's NL Championship Series (NLCS) against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers, who defeated the San Diego Padres in their series, will look to avoid a similar outcome this year, especially with the formidable Dodgers pitching staff.

Key players expected to be part of the Dodgers' pitching rotation include Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell, as well as World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and All-Star Tyler Glasnow. The first game of the NLCS is scheduled for Sunday at 8 a.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.