Baseball just witnessed epic drama unfolding at Rogers Stadium. Two clubhouses, one with a dream of bringing the ring home and the other to keep the ring at home. Saturday night will be the decider—will the trophy fly back to L.A., or will it stay in Toronto after 32 years? Just before Game 6, Dave Roberts said, “Everything’s on the table,” and when we saw Tyler Glasnow coming on the mound in the 9th inning, we got it. Now, with the Dodgers forcing a Game 7 after a 3-1 win, the skipper is set with his trump card: Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani has been sensational this postseason, driving the Dodgers’ push for back-to-back titles. Showcasing his two-way brilliance, he’s tossed 18 playoff innings with 25 strikeouts and with an ERA of 3.50 — proving he thrives under pressure. With the championship on the line, Roberts knows he can count on his star.

Speaking to reporters after Game 6, Roberts made his intentions clear. When asked if he felt confident sending Ohtani out for Game 7 despite his Game 4 start, the skipper didn’t hesitate. “I am,” Roberts said. “We all are. This is Game 7, so there are a lot of things that people haven’t done, and you have just got to trust your players and try to win a baseball game.” It was a message delivered directly to the Blue Jays: the $700M man will be standing in their way, and the series finale won’t be simple.

But why this decision? Well, Glasnow was supposed to be the starter of Game 7. But he came out of the bullpen in Game 6, in a do-or-die situation, which led Roberts to hand the ball to Ohtani, who had pitched before against this lineup.

In Game 4 at Dodger Stadium, Shohei Ohtani pitched five innings, giving up two runs and striking out six batters. This was his first start at home in the World Series, and now, after just three days of rest, he is slated to pitch again.

So, how many innings can he pitch for them? Roberts answered that question directly told Rosenthal. “With Shohei, it could be two innings, but it could be four innings. I’m not sure where we’ll slot him. We’re going to have to talk to him first and see where he feels most comfortable.”It’s simple: the Dodgers will ride Shohei Ohtani as far as he can go.

Beyond the pitching plan, history is calling. If the Dodgers win Game 7, they will become only the second team since 2000 to win back-to-back World Series titles. The New York Yankees accomplished the feat with three straight championships from 1998 to 2000, setting a standard few have reached since. Los Angeles stands one victory away from joining that exclusive company, and they’re placing their fate in the hands of their two-way star.

Shohei Ohtani’s potential Game 7 start carries meaning far beyond the box score. After undergoing elbow surgery in 2023 and spending much of 2024 in recovery, this moment would mark a full-circle comeback for baseball’s biggest star. It would also be his first-ever World Series appearance, making it a historic milestone in his career.

Across the globe, fans in Japan are expected to stay up through the night to watch, a reflection of Ohtani’s unmatched global influence and how his story continues to unite fans through pure love for the game.

But here’s the question many are asking: why use Ohtani as a starter if he’s only going two to four innings?

The rule-driven reason Shohei Ohtani starts Game 7

The designated-hitter rule is one big reason why the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to start Ohtani, even if it’s only for a few innings. If Ohtani starts the game as the pitcher, he can stay in the game as the designated hitter after he exits the mound. If he comes in as a reliever, though, the team would lose the DH spot after he pitches. That loss of DH flexibility is a huge strategic cost.

The Dodgers can still use his arm and keep him in the lineup by starting with him. Even if he doesn’t go late into the game, it offers them additional offensive potency.

On the other hand, putting him in to help would mean giving up the DH role and making their pitcher bat or giving up the hitter-only spot. That small difference in the rules makes the starting route more tempting, even if it’s only for a short time.

This will also be new for Ohtani because it’s the first time he’s ever pitched in a World Series Game 7. The closest thing to it was when he played for Team USA in the finals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, when everything was on the line.

That night, he struck out Mike Trout, his old Angels teammate, on the mound to win the championship for Japan. It shows how Ohtani could rise to the occasion when the stakes were at their highest.

Can lightning hit the same place twice? Can Shohei Ohtani play that well in a key situation on baseball’s most significant stage? The Blue Jays will test him in a different way than Team USA did, but the pressure will be the same. One game, one chance, and everything depends on his right arm.

On Saturday night in Toronto, we’ll find out if that faith pays off with a championship ring.