Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani book, surprising MIT draft pick, ESPYs representation

Shohei Ohtani is already a five-time MLB All-Star, three-time MVP and a World Series champion. Now, the Los Angeles Dodgers' superstar is adding children's book author to his impressive résumé.

Ohtani announced Thursday on his Instagram account that he had co-written a children's book titled Decoy Saves Opening Day, set to be published by HarperCollins in February 2026. The main character, of course, is Ohtani's beloved dog, Decoy, who is set to throw out the first pitch on Opening Day but forgets his lucky baseball at home.

Ohtani, an active supporter of animal rescue charities, hopes to use profits from the book's sales to support nonprofit organizations working to find forever homes for dogs in need.

Can Decoy get his lucky baseball and make it back to the ballpark before it's too late?! Find out when Decoy Saves Opening Day hits shelves on Feb. 3.

Dodgers sign pitcher (and aspiring aerospace engineer) out of MIT

The Dodgers made an intriguing choice with the No. 225 overall pick in the seventh round of this year's MLB Draft, selecting right-handed pitcher Mason Estrada out of MIT. The 21-year-old, who has been studying aerospace engineering for the last two years, is reportedly signing a contract with the Dodgers and will soon report to their instructional camp in Arizona.

Estrada went 6-0 with a 2.21 ERA for MIT in 2025, striking out 66 and allowing just 22 hits in 40 2/3 innings. His fastball sits at 96mph, and his two distinct sliders each reach up to 2,700 RPMs, in line with big league metrics.

Estrada is the fifth MIT undergraduate ever to be selected in the MLB Draft and the highest-drafted player in MIT history at 225th overall. The others are Alan Dopfel ’72, selected by the California Angels; Jason Szuminski ’00, selected by the San Diego Padres; Austin Filiere ’18, selected by the Chicago Cubs; and David Hesslink ’17, selected by the Seattle Mariners. Of those players, only Szuminski reached the Major Leagues with the Padres.

Estrada will be taking a leave of absence from MIT while he pursues his professional baseball career but says he intends to return to finish his degree.

Dodgers well represented at 2025 ESPY Awards, but only Shohei Ohtani takes home hardware

The Dodgers were finalists in several categories at the 2025 ESPY Awards, which took place Wednesday at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Both Ohtani and Freddie Freeman were nominated in multiple individual categories, while the 2024 World Series champion Dodgers were nominated for Best Team among all the major 2024 championship winners. Ohtani was the only one to bring home an award, however, beating out Freeman, Aaron Judge and Tarik Skubal to win Best MLB Player.

The unanimous winner of the 2024 National League MVP Award, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to record a 50-50 season and finished with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. In total, he hit .310/.390/.646/1.036 with 130 RBI and an 8.9 WAR while leading the Dodgers to a World Series title in 2024.

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