NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Before Toronto Blue Jays fans started dreaming of winning a World Series, they dreamed of Shohei Ohtani signing with them in free agency.
The two-way megastar met with the Blue Jays on December 4, 2023 at their spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida before eventually signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1 of the Fall Classic is at 8 p.m. ET on Friday at the Rogers Center and will be broadcast exclusively on FOX, and Ohtani will be the first batter the Blue Jays face.
The Blue Jays gave Ohtani a hat and jacket for Decoy, Ohtani’s dog. Both of those gifts, Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked, he wants back.
“I hope he brought his hat, the Blue Jay hat, that he took from us during our meeting. I hope he brought it back, finally,” Schneider said Thursday.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays will meet in the 2025 World Series. (FOX)
“And the jacket for Decoy,” he added. “It’s like, give us our stuff back already.”
Ohtani smiled when he heard about Schneider’s remarks, saying simply through a translator, “It’s in my garage.”
Last season was Ohtani’s first with the Dodgers and he was sensational. He won the NL MVP, hitting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBI and 59 stolen bases while also helping the Dodgers to a World Series title.
This season, he returned to the mound and continued his dominant play. Pitching in a limited role as he returned from elbow surgery, he hit .282 with 55 homers, 102 RBIs and 20 steals while going 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts, striking out 62 in 47 innings.
DODGERS TRY TO JOIN EXCLUSIVE MLB RANKS IN WORLD SERIES TITLE DEFENSE VS BLUE JAYS
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani celebrates his victory against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on October 17, 2025. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)
His strong regular season has him in contention for a fourth career MVP award.
Ohtani’s latest feat was one of the most legendary performances in MLB postseason history, homering three times while pitching six shutout innings and striking out 10 against the Milwaukee Brewers as the Dodgers completed a four-game sweep of the NL Championship Series.
“He’s a great player,” Schneider said. “But other than that, I think we have a great team and just an incredible cast of characters and players. I think things worked out the way they were meant to work.”
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with third base coach and outfield coach Dino Ebel (91) as he runs home to score after hitting a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning during Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Oct. 20, 254, California. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The Blue Jays manager said he wasn’t sure how close the team was to signing the Japanese superstar.
“When we met with him, you felt good about it and you felt good about the feedback he gave about our organization and opportunities here,” Schneider said. “But you never really know what a player feels in free agency, and there are a lot of things that also have to stand up for them personally, so you can’t really think about what if. You think about the 26 (players) we have.”
Nearly two years after Ohtani’s decision in free agency to choose the Dodgers over the Blue Jays, both teams are in the World Series.
