Shohei Ohtani shows true leadership after powerful batting display with humble gesture

After sending baseballs soaring to the fifth deck, the roof, and even off the Marriott hotel beyond centerfield, Shohei Ohtani reminded everyone he’s not just a superstar he’s a class act. Despite his jaw dropping power, Ohtani stayed behind after batting practice to help pick up balls with his teammates, laughing and tossing them around like kids at play. It was a simple, human moment that showed the kind of leader he is: one who works hard, stays humble, and never forgets the joy of the game.

That display of generosity and team spirit came after an absolutely monstrous regular season. Ohtani finished 2025 with a .282 batting average, 55 home runs, 102 RBIs and a 1.014 OPS. His batted-ball profile was off the charts: a 23.1% barrel rate, a .415 wOBA and average exit velocity near 94.7 mph. The power and humility of Ohtani define what it means to be a true leader.

Shohei Ohtani’s humanity steals the spotlight

Now he and his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are facing the final hurdle. They’re up against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series, with the series currently at 3-2 in favor of Toronto.

Game 6 looms in Canada, and every moment from batting practice to bullpen jokes now carries playoff weight.

So in that batting-practice session balls flying, teammates laughing, Ohtani picking up stray hits with the same hands that crushed rockets into the bleachers you see a layered story. One part performance art of raw power, one part quiet leadership. He could have walked off, basked in the spotlight, done what many superstars do. Instead he stayed. He helped. He joked. He showed up.

#Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said “everything should be on the table” facing elimination, including using Shohei Ohtani out of the bullpen.

With that, there’s a chance he may need to play in the outfield to keep his bat in the lineup.

While he only has 8.1 innings in the… pic.twitter.com/YfzyIcYCVV

— World Baseball Network (@WorldBaseball_) October 31, 2025

In the tension cooker that is the World Series, that kind of consistency matters. Fans see the home runs, the stats, the records. But teammates feel the vibe in batting practice, in the clubhouse, in the small gestures. When the seventh inning gets hairy, when the next big swing or strike out might define a season, those small moments become part of the bigger picture. Ohtani’s off field humility, paired with his on field dominance, may just tip the scale for the Dodgers.