Before the upcoming matchup between the San Diego Padres and the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, Padres manager Mike Shildt shared his thoughts on their rivals.
Padres manager Mike Shildt
Unsurprisingly, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was a key topic of conversation. As the Japanese two-way sensation gets ready to make his pitching debut for Los Angeles, Padres beat writer Sammy Levitt shared Shildt’s comments about Ohtani on X (formerly Twitter), noting that the manager even quoted wrestling icon Ric Flair in his response.
Padres manager Mike Shildt discusses his team facing Shohei Ohtani on the mound tonight:
“As Ric Flair would say — to be the man, you got to beat the man. If we’re gonna be the best, we got to beat the best.” pic.twitter.com/H0Via6waeR
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) June 17, 2025
Padres manager Mike Shildt weighed in on the challenge of facing Shohei Ohtani on the mound Monday night, telling reporters, “As Ric Flair would say — to be the man, you got to beat the man. If we’re gonna be the best, we got to beat the best,” according to a post by beat writer Sammy Levitt on X (formerly Twitter).
If Ohtani pitches anything like he did during his time with the Los Angeles Angels, the Padres could be in for a tough night. The Dodgers currently sit two games ahead of the San Francisco Giants atop the NL West, and three games ahead of the third-place Padres. Monday’s matchup marks the beginning of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium. Can San Diego pull off a surprising series victory—or perhaps even a sweep?
Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani is already considered the favorite for the NL MVP, having won the award last season in his debut year with the Dodgers—his third MVP overall. He currently leads all National League players in All-Star voting by a wide margin. Since joining Los Angeles, anticipation has been building around his first pitching appearance, and now that long-awaited moment has arrived.
Would it really be a shock if the Dodgers represented the National League in the World Series again? Or if they claimed their ninth championship title? As things stand, that outcome seems entirely plausible. But Padres manager Mike Shildt and his team are determined to stand in their way. If San Diego can hand the Dodgers a home loss—just a week after dropping two of three games to them—they may reignite hopes of a deep playoff run and a shot at postseason redemption.
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