Milwaukee’s crowd greeted Shohei Ohtani with boos during his pregame introduction. It suggests that Ohtani might be baseball’s biggest superstar, but even a player of his stature isn’t immune to the wrath of opposing fans. And the Milwaukee Brewers made that abundantly clear in NLCS Game 1, greeting the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way sensation with boos during his pregame introduction. The hostility may not have come out of nowhere, either.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Ohtani was instrumental in crushing Milwaukee’s postseason hopes in 2025, batting .357 with three home runs in four games as the Dodgers swept the Brewers 4-0 in the NLCS. With the Brewers facing Ohtani again, Milwaukee’s fans made their displeasure clear from the start. And Ohtani could be in for another hostile October showdown.
“Brewers fans greeted Shohei Ohtani with boos ahead of NLCS Game 1,” Dodgers Nation shared via X.
As the Dodgers superstar stepped up for the pre-game introduction, the home crowd in Milwaukee made sure to let him hear it, attempting to rattle the four-time MVP. The hostile reception comes as Ohtani seeks to break out of a prolonged late-season batting slump.
Injuries have derailed Ohtani’s season, producing his worst hitting slump in MLB.
“Although his condition is not 100%, I believe his performance at the plate and the quality of his hits are gradually improving. I trust he will bounce back,” Dave Roberts acknowledged.
Ohtani hit .154 in the NLDS (2-for-13 vs. Atlanta), a sharp decline from his .200 September. In the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani managed only two hits in 13 at-bats. His last home run was against the Colorado Rockies in August.
With such a struggle, Roberts even experimented by pushing him down to No. 4 and No. 5.
In the ongoing NLCS Game 1, Ohtani is batting at 4, which suggests his prolonged struggle.
Coming from last year’s NLCS, the Brewers fan certainly knows what a peak Shohei Ohtani means. A loud boo during the pregame introduction could affect Ohtani’s confidence. Yet, Ohtani is somewhat responsible for the Dodgers’ only run so far by the bottom of the 8th inning.
The Brewers are currently leading 2-1.
In the second inning, Ohtani led off and drew a walk, showing plate discipline against the Brewers’ off-zone pitching. He did not chase and drew a walk to reach first base safely.
The next batter, Teoscar Hernández, kept the line moving by hitting a sharp single to right field. Ohtani read the ball cleanly off the bat, executing a standard base-running turn to advance safely to second base.
Andy Pages lined a single to right field, and Ohtani had no issue sprinting hard, covering third and reaching home plate.
The Brewers’ fans’ frustration with Shotime may be justified, and it suggests what’s waiting in the remaining games of the NLCS.