Ram Digest

WATCH: Is Shohei Ohtani A Puka Nacua Fan?

MLB superstar and new Los Angeles Dodgers signee Shohei Ohtani was the star of the show during the L.A. Rams win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football.

Matt Galatzan

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Newly signed L.A. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been the talk of Los Angeles this week, after making an appearance during the Rams' critical 30-22 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football.

After signing his 10-year $300 million deal with the Dodgers, Ohtani showed up in support of the Rams, even getting his own Jersey in a special introduction at SoFi Stadium.

Ohtani, who will wear the No. 17 with the Dodgers, was given a Rams No. 17 jersey as well - also the same number as rookie star receiver Puka Nacua. 

Shohei Ohtani
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Suffice it to say, Nacua was a big fan of Ohtani wearing his number during the game.  "That's dope!" Nacua could be seen saying in a video released by the Rams Ohtani wearing the No. 17 during the game.

And it should come as no surprise that Ohtani - one of the MLB's best players of the generation - is a fan of the young rising star receiver. 

As of Thursday night, Nacua has 96 catches for 1,327 yards and five touchdowns. For context, he now sits fifth all-time in terms of most productive rookie campaigns behind Bill Groman, (1960), Ja'marr Chase (2021), Justin Jefferson (2020), and Anquan Bolden (2003).

And if Nacua holds up his average of 88.5 yards per game over the last two weeks of the regular season, he will eclipse Groman (1,473 yards) for the most receiving yards all-time by a rookie wideout.

Rams' McVay Shares Realization After Meeting Shohei Ohtani

Outside of their jersey numbers, Nacua and Ohtani also share some common ground, with the pair both starting their careers in their respective sports in Los Angeles - Ohtani with the Angles at 23 years old and Nacua with the Rams at age 22.

Ohtani won't pitch for the Dodgers in 2024 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, but he homered 44 times and drove in 95 runs in just 135 games for the Angels this past season, so his bat alone will be worth the price of admission. 

For what it's worth, however, L.A. sports fans will still have an exciting young star to watch in the meantime in Nacua while they wait for Ohtani to recover. 

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com

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