Shohei Ohtani Bio And Facts

Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani is considered a two-way star as he is both a right-handed pitcher and hitter. The star was born in Ōshū, Japan, on July 5, 1994. He has an older sister, Yuka, and an older brother, Ryuta. He and his family grew up loving baseball, and he quickly became a phenom, touching nearly 100 mph on his fastball as a teenager.

Ohtani was the number-one overall pick in the 2012 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft and spent five seasons playing professional baseball in Japan. In December 2017, Ohtani signed with the Angels and made his MLB debut on March 29, 2018. The Japanese sensation has since won a league MVP in 2021 and was a runner-up in 2022. He’s widely recognized as one of the best players in baseball today.

• Birthdate: July 5, 1994
• Education: Hanamaki Higashi High School
• Net Worth: $10-$15 million
• Occupation: Professional Baseball Player
• Height: 6’4”
• Weight: 210 lbs
• Position: Starting Pitcher, Designated Hitter
• Years Active: 10
• Nicknames: Showtime
• Teams: Los Angeles Angels, Nippon Ham Fighters, Team Japan

Social Media:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Business Website

Net Worth

Shohei Ohtani is roughly between $10-$15 million. In 2021, Ohtani signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Angels. Furthermore, Ohtani is currently under contract with L.A. for one more season at $30 million. He also has sponsorship deals with Oakley, Topps, and ASICS.

Career

Ohtani was born into a very athletic family. His mother was an elite badminton player, and his father was an amateur baseball player. He was mostly trained by his dad growing up, and he displayed greatness at an early age. In high school, Ohtani became one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in Japan and had scouts from across the world keeping an eye on him.

The Japanese slugger turned professional after being drafted first overall by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the NPB Draft. He spent five seasons playing in his home country before moving to the United States in late 2017 to sign with MLB’s Los Angeles Angels. So far, Ohtani has spent his whole MLB career with the Angels, but he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season. 

Titles and Awards

Throughout Ohtani’s professional baseball career, he’s accumulated a ton of awards. In Japan, he was a five-time All-Star and led his club to a title in 2016. That year, he was also the Pacific League MVP. In 2015, he was named the WBSC Player of the Year. 

In 2018, Ohtani took his talents to America, where he immediately won the American League Rookie of the Year. Ohtani made his first MLB All-Star team in 2021 and was voted the league’s MVP that year. That season, he became the first MLB player ever to hit 45+ homers, 25+ steals, and have five or more triples in a season. He also became the first player to lead the league in home runs and innings pitched since Babe Ruth in 1919. In 2022, Ohtani finished second in MVP voting and was also fourth in Cy-Young voting. Internationally, Ohtani led Japan to the World Baseball Classic title in 2023.

Personal Life

Growing up, Ohtani was trained by his father, and he watched Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants, headlined by Hideki Matsui, who’d go onto play ten seasons in MLB. Ohtani predicated his game after Matsui, but also had a fascination for pitching. However, he said, “I didn’t think I was good. Before high school, I didn’t participate in many tournaments, so I assumed there must be many players better than me.”

When Ohtani graduated high school, he was pursued by plenty of MLB teams, but decided to remain in his home country. Since 2018, Ohtani has played in the United States for the Los Angeles Angels. Since 2022, it’s been known that while Ohtani isn’t married, he’s dating Kamalani Dung, a pro softball league pitcher. She’s from Hawaii and is also a model, actress, and philanthropist.

Fun Facts

• First player in MLB history to hit at least ten home runs and reach over 100 strikeouts as a pitcher in the same year.
• Received MLB’s Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award in 2021.
• First player in MLB history to steal at least 20 bases and make at least ten pitching appearances in the same season.
• On April 4, 2021, Ohtani, in the first inning, threw three 100+ mph pitches and hit a 451-foot home run.
• Finished fourth in Cy-Young voting in 2022.
• In 2021, he became the first MLB player to lead the league in home runs and make at least two pitching starts in the same season since Babe Ruth in 1919.
• Clinched 2023 World Baseball Classic for Japan after striking out MLB teammate Mike Trout.

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