Shohei Ohtani hit free agency in 2023 and landed that record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But before he made his choice, the Blue Jays got their shot.
Toronto hosted Ohtani for a visit in December 2023, sending him home with some memorabilia – including a Blue Jays jersey for his dog. Nice touch, but it wasn’t enough to land the two-way superstar.
Fast forward to Friday night’s World Series Game 1, and Blue Jays fans reminded Ohtani exactly how they felt about his decision. With the Dodgers trailing 11-4 in the ninth inning, the Rogers Centre crowd had some choice words for the visiting star.
“We don’t need you,” Blue Jays fans chanted as Ohtani stepped to the plate with two outs.
The whole thing got started earlier this week when John Schneider jokingly asked for Ohtani to return the gear Toronto gave him during that free agency visit. When reporters asked Ohtani about it, he said the stuff was sitting in his garage.
Blue Jays faithful with the "We don't need you" chant to Shohei Ohtani pic.twitter.com/VaIyBnV92b
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 25, 2025
It was harmless banter during World Series week. But once the Blue Jays broke Game 1 open with a nine-run sixth inning, Toronto fans felt comfortable enough to let Ohtani have it for choosing Los Angeles over them.
Can’t really blame them for having some fun with it.
The Blue Jays got their starter Trey Yesavage in Game 1, and the kid delivered when it mattered most. Here’s his family losing their minds after he struck out Ohtani to start the game:
The Yesavage family freaking out after Trey struck out Shohei Ohtani to start Game 1 of the World Series. pic.twitter.com/6GwckImUDB
— Ian Hunter (@BlueJayHunter) October 25, 2025
Now, Ohtani did manage a two-run homer in the loss. But it came with the Dodgers already down 11-2, so it was more stat-padding than anything meaningful.
Still, Toronto fans might want to be careful about poking the bear too much. We’re talking about a guy who just had one of the greatest individual seasons in baseball history.
What’s Next
Game 2 goes Saturday night in Toronto, and the Blue Jays are sitting pretty with a chance to take a 2-0 series lead. The payroll difference between these teams has been a storyline throughout the Dodgers’ postseason run, but right now it’s the Blue Jays who look like the better team.
Whether Ohtani and the Dodgers can bounce back remains to be seen. But you can bet those Toronto fans will be ready if he struggles again.
