Shohei Ohtani is about to realize his childhood dream of playing in important games. There’s nothing bigger than the Major League Baseball playoffs.

And the Japanese superstar isn’t nervous.

“I think the excitement of that is greater than anything else that I could possibly feel,” he said Friday through an interpreter.

Ohtani is getting his first chance on the October playoff stage with the MLB-best Los Angeles Dodgers, who open the National League Division Series tonight against the rival San Diego Padres. He spent the last six years with the Los Angeles Angels, who never had a winning record or made the postseason during his tenure.

Ohtani struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to help Japan win the World Baseball Classic last year. He was a pitching and hitting star in Japan before coming to MLB. Now, fans on both sides of the Pacific are clamoring to see what else the record-setting superstar can do in October.

“I think it’s more for us as fans to see that it’s something that’s new to him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “If there’s any person that I feel that’s going to be able to handle this, it’s certainly Shohei.”

Ohtani has proven he can change a game with his bat or his foot speed. If he draws a walk, he can steal a base (he had 59 in the regular season). He can smash home runs (54) or score from first.

Ohtani signed a record $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers in December. He didn’t pitch this season while rehabbing from a second elbow surgery he had a year ago. That allowed him to focus on his offense, and he exploded, becoming baseball’s first player with 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.

Early in the season, Ohtani admits his strong desire to fit in with his new team affected his hitting.

“Overall, the second half of the regular season, if I look back at it, it’s been pretty good overall,” he said. “I’m just focused on remembering those good feelings that I have when I’m playing well. And the plan is to make sure that I do have those feelings going to the plate this postseason.”

FRANCONA NAMED REDS SKIPPER >> Terry Francona has been hired as manager by the Cincinnati Reds after stepping down in Cleveland following the 2023 season because of health reasons.

Francona has agreed to a three-year contract through the 2027 season with a club option for 2028, the Reds said in a statement.

Francona, who won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox, is replacing David Bell, fired by the Reds last month in the final days of his sixth season. Bell went 409-456 during his tenure.

Francona, 65, played as an outfielder for Cincinnati in 1987.

Francona has a 1,950-1,672 record in 23 years as a big league manager with Philadelphia (1997-2000), the Red Sox (2004-2011) and Guardians (2013-2023).

Things didn’t go particularly well for him in Philadelphia, where he had four straight losing seasons.

He was an unlikely choice for Boston’s job, but he immediately claimed legendary status by winning the World Series in his first season.

Francona took Cleveland to the playoffs seven times in his 11 seasons and won 921 games. The Guardians, then known as the Indians, made it to the World Series in 2016, only to lose to the Cubs in a seven-game series.

TWINS GM STEPS DOWN >> Minnesota senior vice president and general manager Thad Levine is leaving the Twins after eight seasons with the club.

In a statement the Twins said he was leaving to “pursue new challenges and opportunities.”

The Twins made the playoffs four times in Levine’s tenure and were the defending AL Central champions. Minnesota was in postseason position much of this year before going 6-18 down the stretch.