LOS ANGELES -- As we all await the first days of spring and the return of baseball, what better way to pass the time than reliving some of the top moments from one of the best to play the game?
Today marks "Shohei Day" on MLB Network, featuring an entire day of programming focused around Shohei Ohtani's astounding achievements in the Majors. The broadcast date, Jan. 7 (1/7), is a nod to the No. 17 that the Dodgers superstar has worn throughout his Major League career.
Throughout his eight seasons in the Majors, Ohtani has proven to be a generational talent. The four-time unanimous MVP and two-time World Series champion has seemingly done the impossible time and again since debuting in 2018, as MLB Network will dive into through the "Shohei Day" programming.
Two of Ohtani's signature games will be aired: His incredible offensive showing in Miami that created the 50-50 club on Sept. 19, 2024 (3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT and again at 12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT), and his masterful two-way performance against the Brewers in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series on Oct. 17, 2025 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT).
Ohtani is already in a class of his own by virtue of being a Major League two-way player. But he truly stands alone as the only big leaguer with a 50-homer, 50-stolen base season, and he created the exclusive club in grand fashion -- going 6-for-6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two steals and 17 total bases as the Dodgers clinched a postseason berth.
That unprecedented performance set a high bar for Ohtani's second season as a Dodger, and his return to pitching helped put him over the top. After spending 2024 rehabbing from a second major surgery on his right elbow, Ohtani was back on the big league mound in '25, a fully actualized two-way player once more.
Following a regimented buildup on the mound during the regular season, Ohtani pitched in the postseason for the first time as the Dodgers defended their World Series title. He put together the two-way performance of a lifetime in NLCS Game 4, striking out 10 across six scoreless innings while going deep three times to secure a sweep of the Brewers and a return trip to the Fall Classic.
In addition to those two extraordinary games, segments of MLB Network's Hot Stove and MLB Tonight will center around Ohtani. The celebration culminates with “Best of Shohei,” an original two-hour special airing at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, featuring extended half innings and full sequences from the most memorable moments of Ohtani’s career. The special will offer fans an immersive look into the performances that define Ohtani’s place in baseball history.
Programming highlights of "Shohei Day" -- which will stream on MLB.TV and in the MLB App as part of MLB Network’s Direct-To-Consumer offering -- are as follows:
- 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT: The Leadoff Spot
- 10 a.m./7 a.m.: Hot Stove, including a segment dedicated to Ohtani
- 2 p.m./11 a.m.: MLB Network Countdown: 2025 Postseason Performers
- 3 p.m./12 p.m.: Ohtani becomes the first member of the 50-50 club (Sept. 19, 2024)
- 5 p.m./2 p.m.: MLB Tonight, with a segment on Ohtani
- 7 p.m./4 p.m.: MLB Tonight: Best of Shohei
- 9 p.m./6 p.m.: Ohtani’s 10-strikeout and three-homer NLCS Game 4 (Oct. 17, 2025)
- 12 a.m./9 p.m.: Ohtani becomes the first member of the 50-50 club (Sept. 19, 2024)