Professional sports are defined by moments of transcendent individual greatness, but on Friday, October 17th, 2025, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani wrote a performance so profound it immediately insinuated itself into a paramount discussion of all-time greatness. Leading the Dodgers to a series-clinching 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS), Ohtani was, simultaneously, the game's best pitcher and its best hitter.

The Dodgers completed a four-game sweep of the Brewers, earning a second consecutive NL Pennant and a trip to the World Series. This win came against the Milwaukee Brewers, who boasted the best regular season record in Major League Baseball. In addition to winning his NLCS MVP award, Ohtani's incredible, two-way dominance on the biggest stage definitively dispelled any doubts about his capacity to perform under October pressure.

• Event: National League Championship Series (NLCS) – Game 4

• Date: 17th Friday, October 2025

• Result: Los Angeles Dodgers 5 – 1 Milwaukee Brewers (Dodgers win series 4-0)

• Stakes: Series-clinching game, which sends the Dodgers back to the World Series to defend their 2024 championship.

• Award: Ohtani was named NLCS MVP on the spot.

Ohtani had been in an uncharacteristic postseason slump going into the game, but he broke out in a huge fashion, making the decision to have him be the starting pitcher (P) and power-hitting designated hitter (DH) appear genius.

• Strikeout Power: Ohtani threw 100 mph twice and got 19 swings and misses. He struck out three hitters in the top of the first inning.

• Home Run Assault: His three towering solo shots traveled a combined 1,342 feet. His second home run was a staggering, 469-foot blast that cleared a pavilion roof in right-center.

• Hitting Perfection: He recorded the three highest exit velocities of the game.

The collective performance resulted in a dizzying array of historical firsts and record-tying accomplishments:

MLB History: Ohtani became the first player in history with three home runs and 10 strikeouts in one game.

Postseason History: He homered for the first leadoff home run by a pitcher in Major League history, either in the regular season or postseason.

Uncommon Pitching Accomplishment: Ohtani became only the third pitcher in history to hit three home runs in a game in which he started as a pitcher, joining Jim Tobin (1942) and Guy Hecker (1886).

Double-Digit Difference: Ohtani was the first player since at least 1906 to record double digits in both total bases as a batter (12) and strikeouts as a pitcher (10).

Three-Homer Club: He joined the elite club of just 13 players who have hit three home runs in a postseason game.

Ohtani's Game 4 forces a reconsideration of the "greatest individual performance" in sports history.

Baseball's Benchmark: Dodgers manager Dave Roberts declared, "That was probably the greatest postseason performance of all time," acknowledging the moment's significance.

More Than Just Numbers: While advanced statistics like Run Expectancy Added confirmed Ohtani had the greatest combined batting/pitching game of his career, traditional statistics cannot begin to capture the "unicorn" nature of his performance.

Dominance Compared: His feat is likened to instances of single greatness, such as Don Larsen's 1956 World Series perfect game, where Larsen pitched a perfect game but was 0-for-2 at the plate. Ohtani performed at two mutually exclusive positions.

The Unprecedented Player: Teammate Freddie Freeman commented on the eye-popping nature of the night, stating one has to "check yourself and touch him to make sure he's not just made of steel".

The widespread astonishment following Ohtani's performance was immediate and from across the globe. Brewers skipper Pat Murphy recognized, "We were part of tonight an iconic, maybe the best individual performance ever in a postseason game. I don't think anybody can disagree with that"

Expert Admiration: Yankees legend C.C. Sabathia called Ohtani "The best baseball player ever".

Media Impact: The heroics led to record engagement, with MLB's YouTube content recording 16.4 million views in the two days following the game.

Lasting Impact: Ohtani's Game 4 is a defining moment in his career that makes Ohtani an extraordinary individual and forces anyone in the baseball community to reconsider how players are grouped and judged over time. He has broken how simple statistical lookups are done by operating so outside the sphere of the norm. The Dodgers advance to the World Series, inspired by the fact that they have a player who can take over a game like nobody else.