Career
Shohei Otani was born on July 5, 1994 in Iwate, Japan, and was noticed from an early age for his exceptional talent. His passion for baseball began in elementary school, where he honed his skills on the local club team. His abilities blossomed further in junior high and high school, and his performance in the National High School Baseball Championship Tournament in high school in particular brought him to national attention. In the 2012 professional baseball draft, Otani was selected first overall by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to begin his professional career. Otani quickly became one of the top stars in Japanese professional baseball after his phenomenal performance with the Fighters as a two-way player, pitching and hitting. In particular, his style of combining fastball as a pitcher and power as a hitter transcended the boundaries of conventional players, and he was always the center of attention in the NPB. In 2017, he decided to give Major League Baseball (MLB) a shot and signed with the Los Angeles Angels.
Two-Way Player
Shohei Ohtani is known as a “two-way” player, which is extremely unusual in modern baseball. In other words, he is one of those very rare players who can play both as a pitcher and a hitter. This style of play defies traditional baseball wisdom, and it has been considered extremely physically and technically difficult for a player to be both a pitcher and a hitter. Usually, professional baseball players specialize by clearly separating their roles, and it is almost unheard of for a single player to play both roles. Ohtani has already been active as a two-way player since his days with the Fighters (NPB), combining a fastball over 160 km/h as a pitcher with the power to hit home runs as a hitter. After moving to Major League Baseball, he continued to follow this style and has now established himself as one of the league’s leading stars. His two-way style presents new values and possibilities for modern baseball, and continues to attract the attention of fans and media around the world.
Two-Time MVP
Shohei Ohtani has won two MLB MVP awards. His first MVP award came in 2021, a season in which his two-fisted ability was especially highlighted. He was among the league leaders as both a pitcher and a hitter, and was hailed by fans and pundits alike as “one of the greatest performers in baseball history. As a pitcher, he went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, and as a hitter, he hit an astounding 46 home runs and drove in 100 runs, truly marking a new page in baseball history. His second MVP award came in 2023, and his pitching and hitting continued to stand out. In particular, he once again surpassed the 10-win mark as a pitcher, and as a hitter, he became the Asian home run king with 44 home runs. Ohtani’s two MVP awards show that he is more than just a top-notch player; he is history.
Annual Salary
Shohei Ohtani’s salary is commensurate with his overwhelming ability. When he first tried MLB, he started out with a relatively low salary based on his rookie contract, but his subsequent successes have led to significant salary increases with each contract renewal. In particular, he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers starting in 2024. This is the largest contract in the history of North American professional sports. The reason why Ohtani’s salary is attracting attention is not only his unique “two-fisted” style, but also the economic impact he brings. His play attracts attention from all over the world, and his presence is more than just a number, as he has a tremendous impact on merchandise sales, media exposure, and the team’s ability to attract customers.
This Year’s Successes
Shohei Ohtani continues to establish himself as a world-class star in MLB during the 2024 season, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Due to the effects of last year’s surgery, he concentrated on batting this year and spent the year as a DH. Although he did not have a good spring, he began to improve in the summer and eventually won the home run crown for the second year in a row and his first batting title with 54 home runs and 130 runs batted in. He also scored 59 steals, becoming the first player in the majors to reach the 50.50 mark (50 home runs and 50 steals). His team also won a district championship and advanced to the postseason for the first time in his career. As a Japanese, let’s look forward to more of Ohtani’s success in the future.
