Shohei Ohtani: Return to Angels After Signing $700M Dodgers Contract Was 'Special'

Shohei Ohtani had a successful return to Angel Stadium on Tuesday night in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-2 victory over his former team.

The two-time AL MVP told reporters after the game that the warm reception from Los Angeles Angels fans prior to his first at-bat was a "special" moment.

"The biggest part of all of this is really being able to play at this stadium in front of the Anaheim fans," Ohtani said. "That was the part that was special for me."

Ohtani, who went 1-for-4 with a triple, RBI and run scored on Tuesday, spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Angels. He was a three-time All-Star, won two MVP awards and AL Rookie of the Year in 2018.

The Japanese superstar is one of 28 players in MLB history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP. His final season with the Angels saw him lead the AL in homers (44) and on-base percentage (.412) and lead all of baseball in slugging percentage (.654).

Even though Ohtani's 2023 campaign was cut short due to an elbow injury that required surgery, he still did enough in the 136 games he did play to win AL MVP unanimously.

Despite all of Ohtani's individual success, the Angels were never able to build a roster around him to be a real playoff contender while he was there. Their best record during his six seasons was an 80-82 mark in his rookie campaign.

In what was expected to be one of the most expensive free-agent bidding wars in MLB history, the Dodgers were able to land Ohtani on a 10-year, $700 million deal that is one of the most unique contracts ever given to an athlete.

Ohtani is only making $2 million per season during the life of the contract, with the remaining $680 million to be paid out over a 10-year period starting in 2034.

The Dodgers are enjoying all of the benefits that come with having Ohtani near the top of their lineup. He is flirting with becoming MLB's first player to have a 50-50 season with 44 homers and 46 stolen bases.

Ohtani leads the NL in homers, slugging percentage (.617) and runs scored (111). He is arguably the favorite to win the MVP award in the senior circuit.

The Dodgers have won 21 of their last 30 games since the start of August and own the best record in MLB (84-55). They will play one more game at Angel Stadium on Wednesday night.