After World Series Win, Ohtani’s Five-Word Quote Prompts Dodgers CEO to Reveal Their 10-Year “Fixation”.vc
While Shohei Ohtani’s public speech in English at the World Series parade captured hearts, it was a private, five-word message to Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten moments after the final out that revealed the superstar’s true “audacious” future plans.
LOS ANGELES — After the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their second consecutive World Series championship, the world was focused on the champagne-soaked celebrations. But in a quiet moment amid the chaos, superstar Shohei Ohtani shared a “five-word quote” with Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten that has since “prompted the CEO to open up” about the franchise’s long-term future.
While fans were still celebrating Ohtani’s public parade speech—where he told the crowd, “I’m ready to get another ring next year. Let’s go!”—Kasten revealed that Ohtani’s true goal is far grander.
The Quote That Changed the Future
Speaking on the “Starkville” podcast with Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville, Stan Kasten shared the private exchange. He explained that this new quote was actually a follow-up to a “six-word quote” Ohtani delivered to him just one year prior.
“After we win last year [2024] in Yankee Stadium,” Kasten said, “he comes up to me and he was saying it to everyone, ‘Nine more to go, Stan.’“
That “six-word quote” set the stage for Ohtani’s mindset: one championship for every year of his 10-year, $700 million contract.
Then, Kasten revealed what Ohtani said to him moments after the final out of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays:
“Eight more to go.”
Kasten “Opens Up” About the 10-Year “Fixation”
The quote—a simple, five-word update—prompted Kasten to “open up” about the sheer scale of Ohtani’s ambition and how it has already defined the future of the franchise.
The “future” Kasten discussed wasn’t his own, but the decade-long dynasty Ohtani is now counting down.
“He is fixated on that,” Kasten explained on the podcast, acknowledging the audacity of the 10-ring goal. “And he keeps working toward it. I’m not going to say it’s impossible.”
Kasten’s comments reveal that this isn’t just a player-team relationship; it’s a shared 10-year “fixation” on an unprecedented goal. Ohtani’s quote wasn’t just a celebration; it was the second annual “check-in” on his 10-year plan.
While the rest of the Dodgers, like Mookie Betts, are talking about a “three-peat,” Ohtani is already looking eight years down the road, and he has brought the entire Dodgers organization along with him.
