Shohei Ohtani set to face Angels for the first time in his career

The last time the Dodgers faced the Angels at home was back on July 8 of last season, where Shohei Ohtani launched his first home run at Dodger Stadium off of Michael Grove. Now almost a full year removed and Ohtani, who’s now become the leading candidate for NL MVP this season, will face the team he spent his first six MLB seasons with.

Signed out of Japan in December 2017, Ohtani won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2018 in his first season as an Angel. Ohtani would earn three consecutive All-Star appearances over his final three seasons in Anaheim, but after failing to reach the postseason throughout his tenure, Ohtani would eventually sign the largest contract in North American sports history with the Dodgers, where he has maintained his offensive dominance.

In what is and has been a week of a few firsts, such as batting leadoff regularly for the first time at the big league level, Ohtani will now face his former team for the first time in a regular season game. Since it will be at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani admitted that the emotions would run higher when the Dodgers play in Anaheim for the first time this season, per Dennis Georgatos of the Orange County Register.

“I believe more so when I go to Anaheim (it will be emotional for him),” Ohtani said. “But since we’re playing at Dodgers Stadium, I’m just going to be focused on playing the game.”

Ohtani has stepped up offensively with the absence of Mookie Betts, as he has combined to slash .444/.523/.944 with two home runs and seven RBIs in four games at the leadoff spot.

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Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times notes that Gavin Stone’s ascension this season could lead him to an upgrade in the rotation amidst the absence of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

That’s why Stone’s ascension has been so welcome, giving the Dodgers not just another productive regular-season pitcher, but one who has increasingly flashed October-worthy stuff in the process... Even if the Dodgers insisted they didn’t need one, he is blossoming as their best option to replace Yamamoto in the hierarchy of the rotation.

Former major league infielder Trevor Plouffe of Jomboy Media gave his thoughts on which player the Dodgers should go after ahead of the trade deadline.

Keith Law of The Athletic suggests that the Dodgers could draft outfielder Vance Honeycutt out of the University of North Carolina with the 23rd pick in this year’s draft.

Honeycutt offers plus power and plus-plus defense, but if he goes in the first round I believe he will set the record for the most strikeouts in a draft-year season (81 and counting) by any player selected that high. The word is the Dodgers are looking for someone in that mold, a player with big ceiling but with a weakness the Dodgers think they can “fix.”

Over 171 games in his three seasons at Chapel Hill, Honeycutt slashed .289/.411/.687 with 61 home runs, 162 RBI, and 76 stolen bases.