Dodgers Announce Shohei Ohtani Achievement Before Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andrew McCarty | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 5:31 PM ET

Earlier this week the Los Angeles Dodgers won their 12th National League West title in 13 years leading star pitcher Clayton Kershaw to reminisce about the team's success before it heads off to the playoffs without him.

"This is what I'm going to miss," Kershaw, who was left off the Dodgers wild card roster, said earlier this week. "Pitching is great and I love that, too, but getting to do this with a group of guys, all working for a collective goal, the camaraderie. ... That's really special. You don't get that anywhere else. There's no jobs where 37-year-olds get to do that. But I'm good, I had a great run."

Just a few days later, Kershaw took the mound for the final time as the Dodgers took on the Seattle Mariners. The future Hall of Famer threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and just four hits as he stepped of the bump for the last time.

He wasn't the only one with a memorable performance on Sunday, though. Shohei Ohtani set a new franchise record with his 55th home run of the season - surpassing his own record of 54 home runs set just last season.

Shohei Ohtani sets a new franchise record for homers in a single season with 55! pic.twitter.com/7Zlr7Ruu85
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 28, 2025

After clinching the division, manager Dave Roberts made it clear that was the expectation.

"This was expected. We got it done, maybe a little bit later than we hoped. But I'm happy with the way we're playing," Roberts said. "I do think we're better for all the adversity and we're playing our best baseball right now,

"What we've done before, nothing matters. It's more about trusting each other and playing for a championship."

Los Angeles is awaiting its playoff opponent, but will either face the Cincinnati Reds or New York Mets.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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