Drake’s social media trash talk about Shohei Ohtani backfired when it motivated the Dodgers to defeat his Blue Jays in the World Series.
Drake found himself at the center of controversy after his social media trash talk during the World Series reportedly motivated the Los Angeles Dodgers to defeat his beloved Toronto Blue Jays.
The Canadian rapper’s pointed comments about Shohei Ohtani following the Blue Jays’ Game 5 victory created bulletin board material that galvanized the Dodgers clubhouse, according to shortstop Miguel Rojas.
“I tried to stay humble, don’t talk too much, but that doesn’t go unnoticed,” Rojas told TMZ Sports. “When you do something like that, when you disrespect the best player in the game, not understanding the quality of the person and what the guy has done for baseball, it’s really hard to jump into conclusions at that time.”
Drake took to Instagram to share pictures of Trey Yesavage striking out Shohei Ohtani and an old picture of Ohtani modeling.
“Savage already otw to the dugout boss lol”
“ONE MORE!!!!!!” pic.twitter.com/s8wBkJLgHs
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) October 30, 2025
The Grammy-winning artist posted inflammatory content targeting Ohtani after Toronto’s 6-1 Game 5 win put them ahead 3-2 in the series. His social media activity included mocking references to the Japanese superstar’s performance.
Rojas revealed the Dodgers’ locker room took notice of Drake’s disrespectful posts about their teammate. Rojas’s comments suggest Drake’s trash talk may have provided the extra motivation Los Angeles needed to complete their comeback victory in the World Series.
The veteran infielder emphasized how the team rallied around Ohtani after the rapper’s remarks.
“We lose Game [5], (Trey) Yesavage threw a really good game, and we’re not doing anything other than praising the guy. He threw the ball really well, pitched an amazing game, he’s a different pitcher, he’s a unicorn on the pitching side. Then all of a sudden we’ve got this guy right here. We don’t know who he is, but you don’t have to do that, man,” Rojas stated.
#Exclusive 👀 Drake going after Shohei Ohtani during the World Series actually backfired HARD. Miguel Rojas tells TMZ Sports the locker room definitely took notice of the rapper taking shots at their superstar teammate — and they didn’t like it one bit. pic.twitter.com/uVGVwtULeH
— TMZ (@TMZ) November 7, 2025
The Dodgers responded emphatically in Games 6 and 7, with Rojas himself delivering the game-tying home run in the ninth inning of the decisive Game 7. Ohtani contributed with a 3-for-8 performance over the final two games, adding a double and two walks.
Drake’s involvement reignited discussions about the infamous “Drake Curse” – a phenomenon where teams he publicly supports often lose high-profile games.
The curse has previously affected various franchises across multiple sports.
The Toronto native has been a vocal Blue Jays supporter throughout his career, frequently attending games and sharing his enthusiasm for the team on social media.
The Blue Jays ultimately fell short of their championship dreams, losing the series after holding a 3-2 advantage. The defeat marked another painful postseason exit for the franchise.