It is strange to think of how the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2024 season started, as some memories get lost over the course of playing 162 games and making what amounted to a World Series title run.
Not only were the Dodgers opening their season almost 6,000 miles away from home, but suddenly their newest star player found himself at the center of a gambling scandal thanks to a former interpreter.
Shohei Ohtani already faced the challenge of acclimating himself with new teammates, and that process was thrown onto a rollercoaster because of Ippei Mizuhara’s illegal sports betting.
It was a situation that could have momentarily distracted the team as they opened the season, but the Dodgers clubhouse did not let it. The truth was eventually brought to light, Ohtani was cleared of any wrongdoing, and eventually the whole debacle was in the rearview mirror by June.
Appearing on the “On Base With Mookie Betts” podcast alongside other teammates, Freddie Freeman shared his belief that the controversy surrounding Ohtani made the Dodgers closer as a team and put them on the right path to having a successful season:
“It was a special group of us. To go out and do that, overcome so much, starting in Korea. Rallying around a teammate we just got, who was supposed to be our guy, having to rally around our guy immediately, I think set us on the right course to achieve this goal.”
Plenty within the Dodgers organization, such as manager Dave Roberts and Max Muncy, came to Ohtani’s defense when reports of Mizuhara’s betting first surfaced. Muncy gave insight into how the Dodgers clubhouse was responding during the investigation, noting at the time the entire team was behind Ohtani and his proclamation of innocence
The Dodgers — and especially Ohtani — handled the entire situation and ensuing investigation remarkably well. Publicly, it didn’t seem affect Ohtani more than it would anyone else, even if in private it was causing him distress.
The Dodgers’ tight-knit roster was evident throughout the postseason, most notably during the NL Division Series where they overcame the San Diego Padres’ 2-1 lead and dominated the remaining teams on their path to an World Series championship in franchise history.
Freddie Freeman received NL MVP votes
While Ohtani unanimously won the 2024 NL MVP Award, some of his Dodgers teammates appeared down the ballot.
Betts garnered one vote for sixth place, two for seventh, four for ninth and three for 10th. Betts won the 2018 American League MVP Award.
Freeman received one vote each for eighth, ninth and 10th place. Freeman was named NL MVP in 2020.
Betts and Freeman were finalists for the 2023 NL MVP Award, which was won by Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr.
Current Dodgers free agent Teoscar Hernández tied for 20th on this year’s NL MVP ballot with three points. Hernández’s only vote was for eighth place.
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