Hall of Famer Reveals Crazy Shohei Ohtani Story

A baseball legend recently revealed the lengths to which the Los Angeles Dodgers will go to get the most from their stars.

Speaking with Abriendo Sports, Baseball Hall of Famer David Ortiz said when the New York Yankees were in town to play the Dodgers, Mark Walter gave Big Papi, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter a tour to show “what we’ve done around the stadium.”

In the video, which was posted and translated by Master Flip on X, Ortiz said he pointed out to Walter a construction area and asked what was being built.

“He replied, ‘It’s for Ohtani. After the season, we sat down with him and asked what we could do to help him get even better,'” Ortiz explained.

The two-way superstar then told Walter something that’s likely to strike fear in the other 29 teams in the MLB.

“Ohtani told them, ‘If we had more batting cages, I think I could be a better hitter,'” Ortiz said.

Apr 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) waits behind the cage as he takes live batting practice prior to the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Dodgers Shelled Out to Help a Superstar Get Even Better

Ortiz noted he was surprised by that answer, which makes sense, as Ohtani has hit 54 and 55 home runs in his last two seasons with the Dodgers.

But Ohtani was insistent, telling Walter that “being limited on the batting cages, I think if I had more space and more time to practice, I could become a better hitter.”

So the team invested more than $100 million into the clubhouse and “turned it into a Four Seasons,” Ortiz said.

“As we toured the new space, I looked over at Alex and Jeter and said, ‘And you guys are over here talking about the Yankees. The Yankees what?'”

Fortunately for the Dodgers, they’ve been able to recoup their massive investment in Ohtani already.

Could Shohei Ohtani Get Even Better?

Ohtani is already an outstanding hitter.

According to Baseball Savant, Ohtani is in the 98th percentile in barrel percentage, 97th percentile in expected weighted on-base average and 96th percentile in expected slugging.

He’s also in the top 10% of MLB players in categories like launch angle-sweet spot percentage and average exit velocity.

Do you think Shohei Ohtani can get even better?