Dodgers players were treated to plenty of surprises as they walked into the clubhouse for Opening Day on Thursday.
The World Series trophies from their 2024 and 2025 championships were on display outside the locker room doors. Gold-accented jerseys and caps were sitting in their stalls for their season opener against the Diamondbacks.
And, in a more unexpected twist, luxury Seiko watches were waiting for each of them, as well.
According to Miguel Rojas, the watches were a teamwide gift from superstar Shohei Ohtani to all of his 2026 Dodgers teammates.
Each of them came with a message, too: “Let’s three-peat.”
“That talks a lot about what kind of human he is, not just on the field but off the field,” Rojas said of Ohtani. “I know that watch, we’re going to keep it forever, and we’re always going to remember the best player in the world gave us a watch for Opening Day in 2026.”
The watches, of course, are only the first piece of jewelry the Dodgers are hoping to receive this year. Friday night, they will get their 2025 World Series rings. By season’s end, they’ll hope to earn another, as well, trying to become only the third three-peat champion in MLB’s expansion era.
That’s why Rojas appreciated Ohtani’s message as much –– or, almost, at least –– as the watches themselves.
“I think that’s the mentality of everybody in this clubhouse,” he said. “We need to keep finding new [motivation] every single day, because it’s not going to be an easy road. We all know that we’re going to compete against the best in the world. They all want to come for what we have. And we are really responsible and accountable for what we’re going to be embracing this year.”
Now, they’ll have a flashy new timepiece to help them remember that, as well.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
