Mike Tyson had the spotlight at the ESPYs on July 15, and Shohei Ohtani had the trophy. The only problem was that Tyson didn’t seem entirely sure who he was handing it to.
Tyson presented the award for best single-game performance to the Dodgers star, but after getting through Ohtani’s name – at least mostly correctly – he turned to co-presenter Logan Paul with a follow-up that landed with a thud.
“Shohei could not be here tonight,” Tyson said. “He sends his gratitude and appreciation to ESPN and everyone who voted for him,” Paul said.
“Shohei’s a guy?” Tyson said, turning to Paul.
Tyson, 60, can be excused for not living and breathing MLB. He once sparred with Ted Barrett before Barrett became a major league umpire, and beyond that the Tyson and baseball worlds don’t exactly overlap.
Still, Ohtani is impossible to miss if you follow sports at all. His Game 4 performance against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2025 National League Championship Series was the kind of night that gets remembered for a long time. He threw six shutout innings as the Dodgers’ starter and then went 3 for 3 with three home runs at the plate.
That outing basically sealed the NLCS MVP Award for Ohtani, and now it has been recognized on another stage, across another sport.
Ohtani was also nominated for best male athlete, which may be the award that finally settles Tyson’s questions about him.
Baseball players don’t often show up in person for ESPYs, and the timing explains why. The ceremony falls during MLB’s All-Star break, which gives ESPN a full night of live sports programming while making it tough for the biggest baseball names to attend.
Ohtani had no obvious conflict this year, though he did miss All-Star festivities in Philadelphia because of an irritation in his left knee. Maybe a proper handshake with Tyson can happen sometime down the line.
In Other News…
Dodgers May Finally Have The Young Arm This Rotation Needs
With the All-Star break arriving and the Dodgers sitting atop the standings, the front office can afford to think beyond the next series and look for ways to deepen a rotation that has already carried the club through the first half. One name that keeps coming up is River Ryan, the right-hander whose return from a long rehab path has been a patient project for the organization and a reminder of how much upside still sits in the system.
Andrew Friedman has made it clear the club will not rush the process, even with the temptation to add a young arm if Ryan keeps progressing. The Dodgers want the move to matter in the stretch run and beyond, not just for a quick fix, which is why his next steps will be watched closely as he works toward a possible big-league role later this season.
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Veteran Exit And A Bigger Roster Crossroads
The Dodgers pitching depth took another turn this week when a veteran left-hander elected free agency after being designated for assignment to make room for Landon Knack coming off the injured list. It is the kind of roster churn that has become familiar for a club trying to keep enough arms available while also waiting on bigger-picture reinforcements, and it adds another layer to a staff that has spent much of the season juggling roles and health.
Freddie Freeman also offered a reminder that the Dodgers present is still very much the priority, saying he is focused on this season while hoping to get to 20 major league years before even thinking seriously about retirement. Meanwhile, Dave Roberts acknowledged that Eric Lauers place in the rotation picture could change as injured starters work their way back, leaving open the possibility that a pitcher who has helped stabilize the middle of the staff could become part of a deadline conversation before Aug. 3.
Another Contender Could Steal Tarik Skubal From The Dodgers
Tarik Skubal has become one of the most intriguing names on the trade market as the deadline approaches, and the Dodgers have been viewed as a natural fit if Detroit decides to move the reigning ace. The appeal is easy to understand from Los Angeles side: a frontline starter with the kind of arm that can change a postseason series, especially for a club always looking to deepen its rotation for October.
But the Dodgers may not have a clear path to him. Milwaukee and Philadelphia are also positioned to push hard, which could turn this into a more aggressive bidding war than expected, and Skubals looming free agency only adds to the urgency for any contender considering a swing. For the Dodgers, that means a potential difference-maker is still on the board, even if the price and the competition could make the chase far more complicated than it first appeared.