Shohei Ohtani signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers is monumental. He’s the best player in baseball. Any team that added the two-way superstar would have instantly become a playoff contender, and in the Dodgers’ case, it strengthened their chances of returning to the World Series.
On Tuesday, during Tuesday’s episode of Flippin’ Bats on Fox Sports, MLB analyst Ben Verlander (brother of Justin Verlander) was gushing about about the deal for the Dodgers. In doing so, Verlander stated, “It’s the most important signing in Dodgers history.”
“This means everything. It’s the most important signing in Dodgers history. I have no problem saying that. It’s the most important, it’s the biggest. I think it will be the most impactful and it’s already impactful. Not on-the-field, but odds-wise, the Dodgers are now the odds-on favorite to win the World Series. They signed Shohei and guess what? That comes along with the territory. You’re now the favorites to win.”
MLB analyst Ben Verlander on importance of Los Angeles Dodgers signing Shohei Ohtani
While it’s true that Ohtani’s addition drastically boosts the Dodgers’ World Series odds, others took issue with the specifics of Verlander’s claim.
After all, the Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson back in 1945. Then, on April 15, 1947, Robinson broke the color barrier, becoming the first African American ballplayer in MLB history.
As great as Ohtani is, Robinson’s arrival changed baseball forever.
It didn’t take long for social media to chime in.
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