Mets Star on Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani: ‘Like a 14-Year-Old Playing With 10-Year-Olds’
The New York Mets captured an audience through their wild and surprising postseason run.
However, they don’t seem to be a match for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani entered the National League Championship Series in what some would call a slump. He couldn’t buy a hit without runners on base but that seems to be behind him now as his bat heated up with his team one win shy of a pennant and World Series appearances against the New York Yankees.
The superstar’s current teammate Tommy Edman describes Ohtani hitting home runs to him hitting “golf balls” to parts of Citi Field that few have hit to before.
But, the other storyline belongs to the man who lost his job to Ohtani – Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez.
Martinez, who spent last season with the Dodgers as their designated hitter, had a unique comparison for Ohtani during the NLCS.
“It’s almost like a 14-year-old playing with 10-year-olds,” J.D. Martinez said. “The ballpark just seems too small for him. He generates so much power, hits the ball so hard — it’s a deadly combination.”
The Mets need a lot more than heart to complete a comeback for the history books. From the 0-5 to start the season and a 22-33 mark in late May, anything is possible.
“I feel like they’re rolling right now and it’s going to take a big-time momentum shift to stop them,” said Martinez, who didn’t rule winning the series out.
“We’ve got a shot,” he added. “Teams have come back from down three to one. It has happened.”
The Dodgers are turning to their bullpen for Game 6 on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. Michael Kopech will start for the first time since Sept. 20, 2023, and all of the Dodgers’ high-leverage relievers are available.
Things are beginning to look dire for the Mets, but they did force a Game 6. However, the Mets haven’t found a way to figure out Ohtani, and even if they did, the hot-hitting Mookie Betts is right behind him. They do get a reprieve with Freddie Freeman on the bench.
The Mets need to win two more to shock the world and they will have to do it against the league’s best team and baseball’s best bullpen this postseason.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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