Minor League Baseball

Athletics' Triple-A Affiliate Goes Viral For Showing Off Shohei Ohtani of Bat Dogs

The Las Vegas Aviators have a bat dog who can carry bats and balls at the same time, earning the pup some praise from inside the organization and beyond.
Sam Connon|
A dog gets a bat during a baseball game between Savannah Bananas and the Party Animals at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
A dog gets a bat during a baseball game between Savannah Bananas and the Party Animals at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Oakland Athletics

Baseball fans are eagerly anticipating Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound, considering the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is a generational two-way talent.

But Ohtani isn't the only ballplayer who can multitask.

The Las Vegas Aviators – the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics – posted a video of Ruin the Bat Dog on social media Thursday night. The pup, wearing an orange jacket, ran out to grab a discarded bat from the field, in accordance with his job description.

Then, Ruin made a pit stop to grab a stray ball rolling off the field. Without dropping the bat, Ruin fielded the ball in stride and returned both pieces of gear back to the dugout.

"Shohei Ohtani is a two-way legend. But Ruin the Bat Dog just went 2-for-1," the Aviators wrote. "No warm-up. No salary. No thumbs. Just generational instinct. Baseball in 2025 belongs to the dogs."

As noted by the Aviators, Ruin's compensation doesn't come anywhere near the $700 million Ohtani is owed by the Dodgers. But for making a web gem like he did Thursday, perhaps an extra treat or two is in order.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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