Shohei Ohtani is only in his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but has already been eagerly embraced by the fanbase.
It is not a surprising development given how talented of an athlete Ohtani is, his historic performance last season, and the fact that he helped deliver a World Series championship already.
The signs of Ohtani becoming a fan favorite were already apparent last season, with his bobblehead nights becoming marquee events.
Videos and pictures flooded social media, depicting what seemed to be endless lines of fans waiting outside Dodger Stadium for the chance to get their hands on an Ohtani bobblehead multiple hours before parking lots opened.
The first Ohtani bobblehead night in 2024 had an announced attendance of 53,527, which was an MLB-high before Kiké Hernández’s bobblehead giveaway later that season broke it.
The Dodgers’ first ever Ohtani bobblehead giveaway featured him dressed in a home white uniform and posed in his batting stance. There were 1,700 road grey uniform bobbleheads mixed in as a surprise, which became highly sought after and even fetched thousands of dollars on secondary marketplaces.
The second Ohtani bobblehead giveaway of the 2024 season paired him with Decoy, and golden versions also were included in limited supply.
Dodgers change policy for Shohei Ohtani bobbleheads
The Dodgers saw the heightened demand and made a rare exception this season. For each of Ohtani’s bobblehead nights, all ticketed fans in attendance will be given the item instead of the usual first 40,000.
This was the case for the Dodgers’ first bobblehead night of the 2025 season, with a giveaway celebrating Ohtani’s National League MVP Award taking place on April 2. It is the first of four bobblehead nights for the Dodgers superstar this season.
Thursday’s giveaway celebrates Ohtani’s 50/50 season and features him mid-slide while stealing a base. The number 59, the amount of bags he stole that year, is also featured prominently.
Ohtani has two additional bobblehead nights following the conclusion of Thursday’s game, with one on Aug. 27 and the other scheduled for Sept. 10.
Additional information on all promotions at Dodger Stadium this season, including Shohei Ohtani, Ice Cube, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Fernando Valenzuela, Kobe Bryant and much more can be found here.
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