WATCH: Batboy Quickly Snags Ball Coming For Shohei Ohtani's Head
By Jason Hall
June 27, 2024
A viral video shows the Los Angeles Dodgers bat boy quickly snagging a baseball flying toward two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
X user @Showy__17, an apparent Ohtani fan account, shared the clip from the Dodgers' game against the Chicago White Sox Wednesday (June 26) night, which showed the ball flying toward Ohtani's head in the team's dugout after teammate Kike Hernandez hit a foul ball.
"Super nice catch to protect Ohtani," the account wrote in Japanese.
The batboy's quick reflexes managed to protect Ohtani, who signed a 10-year, $700 million contract to join the Dodgers this offseason and is currently the favorite to win the National League MVP award, having won the American League MVP award as a member of the Los Angeles Angels last season.
大谷さんを守るスーパーナイスキャッチ pic.twitter.com/Jigysd79Ta
— Summer🌈 (@Showy___17) June 27, 2024
Ohtani is currently leading the National League with a .322 batting average, 25 home runs, a .643 slugging percentage and a 1.045 OPS, as well as ranking third in RBIs (64), while the Dodgers are currently in first place in the National League West Division standings and have the second-best record in the National League at 51-31 through their first 82 games of the 2024 MLB season.. The Japanese star is currently listed as having -140 odds to win the National League MVP award, according to DraftKings.com.