Overview
- The conversation took place Thursday in Toronto on the night before Game 1 of the World Series.
- Pasquantino asked, “Why do you throw so hard to me? Why do you hate me?”, and Ohtani replied through interpreter Will Ireton, “You’re just a really good hitter; I have to.”
- MLB’s official X account posted the clip, which quickly circulated as a feel‑good Media Day moment.
- Coverage noted that Ohtani’s two fastest pitches—102 mph in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and 101.7 mph in a 2025 interleague game—both came against Pasquantino.
- Pasquantino, a Royals first baseman who hit 32 home runs this season, served as an MLB World Series correspondent, and reports suggest Ohtani could take the mound in Game 4 if the Dodgers’ rotation holds.