Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese professional baseball player who serves as both a pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Los Angeles Angels and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 29 years
Nickname- Shotime
Height- 1.93 m
Weight- 95 kg
Born- 5 July 1994
Birthplace- Oshu, Iwate, Japan
Profession-Japanese baseball pitcher
Current team-Los Angeles Dodgers (#17 / Designated hitter)
Nationality- Japanese
Parents
Shohei Ohtani’s parents are Kayoko Otani and Toru Otani. His mother excelled as a national-level badminton player during her high school years, while his father worked at a local automobile manufacturing plant and played amateur baseball in the Japanese Industrial League.
Sibling
He has one older sister named Yuka, and an older brother named Ryuta, who is also an amateur baseball player in the Japanese Industrial League.
Wife
Shohei Ohtani has announced on Instagram that he is now a married man. In a post written in Japanese, Ohtani shared the news on Thursday 29 Feb 2024, expressing his joy. “The season is approaching, but I would like to announce to everyone that I have gotten married.” Respecting his privacy, Ohtani did not reveal his wife’s identity but mentioned that she is Japanese.
Career
During his teenage years, Ohtani had the opportunity to join prestigious baseball teams in major cities like Osaka or Yokohama. However, he chose to remain local and attended Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, Northern Japan, where he competed in both swimming and baseball. His decision was influenced by his admiration for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who also attended the same school. Ohtani’s high school coach, Hiroshi Sasaki, noted his exceptional swimming abilities, suggesting he could have pursued an Olympic career in swimming. Under Sasaki’s guidance, Ohtani and his teammates lived on campus, with minimal visits home.
Recognized early on as a standout two-way player, Ohtani was selected as the first pick by the Fighters in the 2012 draft. He played for the Fighters in NPB from 2013 to 2017, excelling as both a pitcher and outfielder and winning the 2016 Japan Series with the team. Ohtani transitioned to MLB after the 2017 season, signing with the Angels and earning the 2018 American League Rookie of the Year Award.
Despite injury setbacks in 2019 and 2020, Ohtani had a remarkable 2021 season, making history by achieving impressive statistics both as a hitter and a pitcher. He continued his success in 2022, becoming the first player in the modern era to qualify for both hitting and pitching leaderboards in a single season.
In 2023, Ohtani made further history by becoming the first player in MLB history to reach 10 wins and 40 home runs in a season. He also led the American League in home runs and won the MVP award unanimously for the second time.
On the international stage, Ohtani represented Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where he was named MVP after Japan’s victory over the USA in the final, a game that garnered significant attention and marked Japan’s third title win.
Shohei Ohtani’s Contract
Less than a month after securing the largest contract in sports history, Ohtani will receive $2 million annually until 2034. Subsequently, the Dodgers will pay him a total of $680 million over the next nine years.
Net Worth
Shohei Ohtani’s estimated net worth is approximately $55 million.
