An incredible journey reached its emotional end on September 19, when Clayton Kershaw, after 18 seasons, three Cy Young Awards, and one World Series championship, took the mound for his final regular-season home start against the San Francisco Giants. Kershaw struck out six batters before leaving to a standing ovation after 4 1/3 innings. His season mark now stands at 10–2, but the night was about legacy more than numbers. After the game, the Dodgers gathered in the clubhouse to honor their departing icon.

The moment was perfectly captured in a video the Los Angeles Dodgers posted on X, with a caption that read: “A special toast for Kersh.” Manager Dave Roberts, along with teammates and staff, was emotional as he paid tribute to Kershaw’s dedication to his family and the organization:

“I would like all of us to raise a glass to Clayton on 18 tremendous years,” he said. “Professional on the field, off the field. Nothing but pure class. Kersh, congratulations.”

But just as the applause began, a distinct sound cut through the cheers from the background when someone let out a bleat, like a goat. The unscripted moment was impossible to miss, and as expected, fans on social media went wild. The sound, believed to be from none other than  Shohei Ohtani, hilariously stole the show from Kershaw’s farewell ceremony.

Now, to be clear, no one actually saw Ohtani make the sound, and the video posted by the team doesn’t show the culprit in the act. But the theory comes from Ohtani’s well-known reputation as a fun-loving teammate.  Whether gesturing Raimel Tapia to the dugout after a quirky play or sharing laughs with the Phillie Phanatic, Ohtani invites connection.

So, this collective fan deduction wasn’t just a random guess. It was born from Ohtani’s humility that radiates beyond the diamond.

The GOAT in the background… How fans made the moment go viral

As fans tried to figure out who made the sound, they looked for the most likely clubhouse combination that could pull off such a perfectly timed silly prank. “Pretty convinced the goat noises came from Shohei and Kiké bc who else lmaoooo”.  Kiké Hernández is the team’s well-known member who keeps everyone laughing. Shohei Ohtani, on the other hand, is the team’s “giant goofball.” And we’ve seen Hernández jokingly present Ohtani a pitcher’s helmet in a season when he wasn’t pitching and even give him the Spanish nickname “Jorge.”

Some fan basically believes Kiké as the instigator and Ohtani as the one who would happily play along.  And one fan confirmed, “If I’m not mistaken I think that was Ohtani in the background doing them goat sounds”. 

So, when the fans decided Ohtani was the culprit, one fan said: “Shohei making GOAT noises for Clayton Kershaw is the vibe!”  While others are just delighted with the purity of the moment. “Shohei WILDN in the end”.

That’s the kind of tribute only modern baseball delivers. Kershaw, the ace of a generation, exits with three Cy Youngs and two World Series rings and the honor of Greatest of all time from Ohtani, arguably the most talented person ever to play baseball, with three MVPs already in the game’s highest stage.

Finally, the conversation came full circle in the most humorous way possible. “Why does Ohtani sound like a real goat”. The comment is fueled by a season where Ohtani has hit 52 homers with a stunning 1.013 OPS at the plate. And in the mound? With 54 strikeouts and nearly 11.9 K% he is cruising toward a third consecutive MVP award.

That’s why Pundits everywhere already call him the “GOAT.” And this fan is just taking it one step further. The joke is that Ohtani isn’t just playing like the Greatest of All Time; he’s starting to sound like it, too.