If you thought Los Angeles traffic was already unbearable, just wait until there’s an Ohtani bobblehead on the line. The Dodgers are giving away their highly anticipated Shohei Ohtani “50-50” bobblehead on Thursday night — a collectible honoring Ohtani’s historic 2024 campaign when he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
Major League Baseball posted about the promotion on X, writing:
“The Dodgers are giving away this Shohei Ohtani 50/50 bobblehead tonight 🤯”
And the replies? Unhinged but understandable.
@DodgersSleeper: “Where’s the caps lock at”
@KickinWithKush: “Glazing a bobble head now?!”
@Jujutalksball: “Does it includes Shohei’s bets of the day?”
Welcome to Dodger Stadium, where Ohtani’s bobbleheads move faster than his home runs. The hysteria surrounding these giveaways is nothing new — last season’s Ohtani + Decoy (his dog) bobblehead had fans lining up 10 hours before the first pitch. This time around, the Dodgers are prepared.
Unlike typical player bobblehead nights — like Mookie Betts’ earlier this week, which was limited to the first 40,000 fans — every single fan in attendance on Thursday will receive the Ohtani 50/50 edition.
Shohei Ohtani’s fans would die for his bobblehead
“We want to try to, as much as we can, avoid the frenzy, but also to take care of the fans that are so supportive of us,” Dodgers executive VP and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen told reporters.
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Scalpers didn’t waste time. Some of the bobbleheads were already listed on eBay for over $150 before a single one was even handed out.
This bobblehead is the second of four Ohtani-themed giveaways in 2025. Another 50/50 edition is set for August, with a third — mystery design — arriving in September. No other player on the Dodgers roster is receiving this level of bobblehead treatment.
Rosen says the Ohtani effect is real.
“The bobblehead phenomenon is very unique to the Dodgers. It’s not like this for any other team. In the last 12 years, we’ve sort of upped the game a bit. And, obviously, we do it because the fans want them.”
And the fans get what they want, especially when Ohtani delivers. On the last bobblehead night, Ohtani crushed a walk-off homer against the Braves to cap a 5-run comeback. Coincidence? Probably. Iconic? Definitely.
“We planned it that way,” Rosen joked. “Yeah, right. But that’s the beauty of Shohei.”
With Ohtani, it’s not just bobbleheads. It’s a spectacle. And L.A. is all in.
