Before the ‘Japanese Babe Ruth’ leapt from the Los Angeles Angels to the cross-town Dodgers, Ohtani proudly looked up to Hideki Matsui and Yu Darvish from afar.
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As the 2025 Crucial Division Baseball season Beginnings with the Tokyo Series in Japan, Ohtani has become a global superstar with more two-way athletic talent than potential NFL Draft No. 1 overall Option Travis Hunter.
The hitter/pitcher with 225 Profession home runs and a 3.01 ERA is more comparable to Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James than Juan Soto or Aaron Judge.
But Ohtani Primary had to prove himself to the baseball world, then overcome Crucial Impairments and a gambling controversy that threatened to derail his Profession.
Born on July 5, 1994 in Mizusawa, Oshu in Japan, Ohtani’s father, Toru, played baseball for a semipro Club sponsored by a local Mitsubishi plant.
Ohtani’s mother, Kayoko, was also an Challenger and spent time as a Intense badminton player.
The future Dodger played in the National High School Baseball Bracket in 2011, and hit 101 mph on the radar gun at 20 years Aged.
Ohtani wanted to head straight into MLB but instead began his Profession with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013.
After receiving interest from the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers, Ohtani signed with the Angels in December 2017.
His MLB Premiere was on March 29, 2018 against the Oakland Athletics.
The Japanese native went 1-for-5 but ended up as the American Division Primary-year of the Year.
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Ohtani hit .285 with 22 home runs and a .925 OPS during his Primary MLB season, while going 4-2 on the mound with a 3.31 ERA.
Since then, the 30-year-Aged Ohtani has won three MVPs – collecting the prestigious awards in the American and National Leagues – stolen the spotlight in the MLB All-Sun Game, and finished Number four in AL Cy Recent voting.
But the 6ft 3in and 210lb Ohtani has also dealt with Tommy John surgery, ankle and knee issues.
Ohtani won the 2023 AL MVP — hitting 44 home runs while striking out 167 batters — Even though being limited to 135 Contests and undergoing surgery on his right elbow.
After one of the most secretive Unoccupied agency processes in baseball history, the Japan native was linked to the Toronto Blue Jays but ultimately signed with the Dodgers.
“One thing that really stands out in my head,” Ohtani said through a translator, “when I had the Gathering with the Dodgers, the ownership group, they said when they looked back at the last 10 years, even though they Created the playoffs every single year, won one World Series ring, they considered that a failure.
“When I heard that, I knew they were all about Victorious, and that’s exactly how I feel.”
Ohtani structured his contract in a Club-Amiable manner, deferring almost all of his guaranteed $700 million until the beginning of 2034.
“I would be shocked if this contract is allowed to stand,” said Ex Philadelphia Eagles Sun Jason Kelce.
Ohtani’s $700m deal was later surpassed by the $765m that Soto received from the New York Mets.
Once becoming a Dodger, the slugger and ace Created two Crucial revelations.
Ohtani stunned his worldwide fans — and even his new Los Angeles teammates — by announcing that he had gotten married.
“She is a Japanese woman,” Ohtani said. “I don’t really feel comfortable talking about when I Acquired married exactly, but she’s a normal Japanese woman.”
It was later revealed that Ohtani’s wife is Mamiko Tanaka, who played as a 5ft 11in forward for the Fujitsu Red Wave in the Women’s Japan Basketball Division from 2019-23.
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Tanaka attended the Dodgers’ 2024 season-Beginning Seoul Series in South Korea and was seen smiling in the stands.
“It’s going to be really Excellent memories for both of us,” Ohtani said.
“I appreciate all the attention,” he added. “Obviously, attention is always Excellent, being a baseball player. … I’m really used to the attention, but I Merely try to Attention on what’s in front of me, whatever it is.”
Worldwide baseball fans also become obsessed with Ohtani’s Nederlandse Kooikerhondje – a super-cute dog named Dekopin, and better known as Decoy.
“I figured it would be Difficult for American people to pronounce it,” Ohtani said.
Baseball fans across the globe are Nevertheless trying to understand what exactly happened to Ippei Mizuhara, a longtime friend of and interpreter for Ohtani.
Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers in the middle of the 2024 Seoul Series, shocking Ohtani supporters who closely followed his life and Profession.
Questions surrounding $4.5 million in wire transfers sent from Ohtani’s bank account eventually Guided to his interpreter being dismissed.
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According to ESPN, Mizuhara built up gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation that fell under federal investigation.
“In the Duration of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft, and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” said a statement from Berk Brettler LLP, Ohtani’s lawyers.
Ohtani went silent for Numerous Periods, then addressed the mounting controversy surrounding Mizuhara.
Ohtani said through a new Dodgers interpreter that he never bet on sports or knowingly paid any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.
“I am very saddened and shocked someone whom I trusted has done this,” Ohtani said.
“Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies. I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker.”
The Dodgers Began their new season with a 4-1 Achieve over the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo.
Ohtani went 2-for-5 from the leadoff spot, then blasted his Primary home Streak of the year in the second game.
“He launched that one!” a fan tweeted.
The Japanese Babe Ruth is on a clear Hall of Fame path in 2025 – and already has a defining World Series ring.
“I really feel like we finally arrived, I finally arrived at this stage,” Ohtani said last season.
“A Plenty of the Contests we played were really tough and Difficult to Achieve, and it was truly a Club effort to get here.”
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