Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-23**Lead**
A provocative and widely condemned column by a Los Angeles Times sportswriter has turned the aftermath of the Dodgers' World Series defeat into a volatile media firestorm. Published hours after the Dodgers’ elimination on Thursday night, the piece argued that Shohei Ohtani's reputation is overstated because he failed to carry the team in the Fall Classic, a take that has been mocked by fans, players, and fellow journalists as unhinged and disconnected from reality.
The column, which has since gone viral for all the wrong reasons, suggests that Ohtani's regular-season brilliance masks a supposed inability to rise to the occasion on baseball's biggest stage. The writer went as far as to question whether Ohtani should be considered a true superstar, a statement that many interpreted as an attempt to manufacture controversy at a moment when the Dodgers' defeat already felt raw for the city of Los Angeles.
**Context**
The Dodgers entered the 2026 World Series as heavy favorites, having steamrolled through the National League playoffs behind a pitching staff that had been the envy of baseball. Ohtani, the two-way sensation who secured his fourth MVP award earlier in October, had delivered another monster season at the plate, posting eye-popping numbers while also contributing on the mound. Yet in the six-game series loss to the American League champion, Ohtani's production dipped noticeably, and he committed a costly defensive miscue in Game 5 that shifted momentum.
That dip provided the narrative hook for the column. The LA Times writer argued that Ohtani's postseason failures, when juxtaposed with his gaudy regular-season stats, reveal a pattern of underperformance in high-leverage moments. The piece stopped short of calling him a fraud but strongly implied that his legacy is illegitimate until he wins a ring as the definitive star.
Reaction was immediate. Within hours, hashtags mocking the column were trending on X, with many users pointing out that Ohtani has already won a World Series title — as a member of the 2024 Dodgers — and that he has delivered multiple iconic postseason moments, including a walk-off grand slam in the 2024 NLDS. The column’s premise, critics said, relies on a willfully selective memory and a misreading of what makes a player valuable in October.
**Análise**
The backlash against the LA Times column underscores a deeper tension in American sports media: the appetite for hot takes often outweighs factual accountability. In this case, the writer appears to have leaned into a contrarian stance that was not backed by evidence, ignoring Ohtani’s established track record on the biggest stages. The result is not just a bad column but a case study in how a single irresponsible take can dominate the news cycle and redirect public anger away from the actual baseball played on the field.
For Ohtani, the episode may feel like a recurring nuisance. As a global superstar who carries the expectations of two nations, he has been subjected to intense scrutiny since his arrival in Major League Baseball. What separates this incident from ordinary criticism is the sheer disconnect from reality. Even the most ardent Dodgers fans — who have every reason to be frustrated after the loss — quickly closed ranks to defend their designated hitter, a rare show of unity in a market known for its passionate and sometimes factions fanbase.
The LA Times has not issued an official response, but the publication’s credibility is now being questioned. Readers are asking how such an inflammatory and poorly argued opinion found its way onto a newspaper with a century-long reputation for sports journalism. Some have called for an editor’s note, while others have demanded a retraction. The paper faces a difficult choice: stand by a writer who has embarrassed the institution, or publicly distance itself from a column that many believe crossed the line from analysis into slander.
**Fontes**
The information in this article is based on the published column by the Los Angeles Times sportswriter, subsequent reactions on social media platforms including X and Reddit, and statements from Dodgers beat reporters who covered the postgame clubhouse. The original column is available on the Los Angeles Times website. Additional context about Ohtani’s career statistics and postseason history is drawn from publicly available Major League Baseball records.