Shohei Ohtani wore uniform number 17 in the Dodgers’ 2026 Opening Day lineup. He was listed as the team’s designated hitter, batting at the top of a star-filled lineup as Los Angeles began its bid for a third consecutive World Series title.
Number 17 has been Ohtani’s familiar MLB uniform number since he joined the Angels in 2018. He retained it after signing with the Dodgers, while his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto wore number 18 and Mookie Betts wore number 50 in the same Opening Day lineup.
The lineup also reflected Ohtani’s unusual role on the 2026 club. He was the designated hitter on Opening Day while preparing to contribute as a two-way player during the season. Because baseball lineups list players by position and uniform number, readers can sometimes confuse Ohtani’s number with those of nearby stars, especially Yamamoto’s 18 or Betts’s 50.