The long wait finally seems to be over—Shohei Ohtani is almost back on the mound. The Dodgers have every reason to celebrate as their two-way superstar inches closer to full form. But it’s not just his team that’s watching closely. During Ohtani’s first live batting practice session against hitters post-surgery, all eyes, including those of a very intrigued Mets manager, were locked on him at Citi Field. It’s a clear signal that the postseason stakes just got hotter.

The Mets manager, Carlos Mendoza, took time out on Sunday to watch Ohtani first live BP session, just before the Mets vs. Yankees showdown. Well, let’s be clear, that simply couldn’t be helped. You have to be watching the pitching of the league’s most important threat; that’s what a manager would do. Mendoza made his intentions clear later.

“Hopefully, I get to watch him in real games,” he said after watching Ohtani closely, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “That means we’re playing against them in October,” he further added.

Yeah, if anyone’s looking at the bigger picture here, it’s got to be Mendoza. He is already planning post-season games. Well, if Ohtani returns to being the best in his pitching, he sure could become the biggest threat to any team in the postseason.

The Mets aren’t just any team, they’ve got their sights set on October glory, and Mendoza is hoping for a postseason clash against the reigning champions. This ball practice would’ve given him a glimpse into how the star’s recovery has been. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in a big league game since August 23, 2023, for the Los Angeles Angels. On Sunday, he threw 22 pitches, and his form looked good. Mendoza surely hopes to face the two-way phenom as a pitcher when both teams play postseason games.

The Mets are currently 31-21, second in the NL East standings, while the Dodgers are leading the NL West with 32-20. If this holds, Mendoza’s hope will surely become true. However, it’s still unclear when exactly Ohtani will return to the mound.

There were hopes of Ohtani returning to pitch sooner this season, but that no longer holds. When asked about it earlier, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts cleared the air, revealing that Ohtani will most likely return to the mound only after the break.

It’s clear the Dodgers don’t want to rush anything. If Ohtani returns in perfect shape, he could be the perfect starter for the Dodgers, and the Mets are already preparing to face him. Right now, they have a player who managed to outsmart Ohtani with his strategic pitching plan.

David Peterson silences Ohtani with a masterclass at Citi Field

When the Mets faced the Dodgers on Saturday at Citi Field, one of their players seemed more than prepared to take on a hitter like Ohtani. David Peterson wasn’t just pitching that night, he delivered a masterclass on the mound. He came in with a clearly thought-out strategy for facing Ohtani and knew exactly how to approach each at-bat.

In the post-match interview, when asked about his strategy for Shohei Ohtani, he said, “It’s just another hitter. It’s one of nine in their lineup. That’s how I look at everybody. Obviously, he’s a great player, and he’s done what he’s done in this game. They have a lot of great hitters over there.” That mindset seems to have paid off.

Peterson threw 18 pitches to Ohtani at Citi Field that day and managed to strike him out three times. Let us be real, that rarely happens for a player like Ohtani.

The 29-year-old lefty just proved that he’s still one of the best in the game, and the Mets could use more of him. In Saturday’s game, he pitched for 7.2 innings and gave up only two runs. And guess what? In a career-high performance, he struck out seven batters. He surely has a lot more up his sleeve for facing Ohtani, especially if a high-stakes October matchup is on the horizon.