THE TWO-WAY STAR REDEFINING WHAT'S POSSIBLE IN MODERN BASEBALL
Shohei Ohtani
b. 1994 · Athlete
Early Life
Shohei Ohtani was born on July 5, 1994, in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, and began playing baseball as a young child, encouraged by his father, who had played amateur baseball, and his mother, a former competitive badminton player. He excelled as both a pitcher and hitter throughout his youth and high school career.
He drew national attention in Japan as a high school phenom capable of throwing pitches over 100 miles per hour while also hitting for power, a rare combination that set him apart from nearly every other prospect in the sport.
Rise to Fame
Rather than immediately pursuing Major League Baseball, Ohtani signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league in 2013, where he spent five seasons proving that a legitimate two-way player could succeed at a high level, both pitching and batting regularly.
He signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, and despite injury setbacks that limited his pitching in his first two MLB seasons, he quickly established himself as a uniquely valuable player, winning the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2018.
Career Highlights
Ohtani won the American League MVP award in 2021, 2023, and 2024, becoming the first player in modern MLB history to lead the league in home runs while also excelling as a starting pitcher, a feat widely compared to Babe Ruth's early 20th-century career.
In December 2023, Ohtani signed a record-setting contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and helped lead the team to a World Series championship in 2024, becoming the first player in major professional sports to win an MVP award in a World Series-winning season while also being the sport's most unique talent in decades.
Personal Life
Ohtani married former Japanese basketball player Mamiko Tanaka in 2024, and the couple welcomed their first child in 2025. He has generally kept his personal life private, focusing public attention on his on-field performance.
In 2024, Ohtani's former interpreter and close friend Ippei Mizuhara was found to have stolen millions of dollars from Ohtani's accounts to cover illegal gambling debts; Ohtani was determined to be a victim in the matter and was not implicated in any wrongdoing.
Net Worth & Legacy
Shohei Ohtani's net worth is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars, built through his record-setting Dodgers contract, endorsements, and business ventures in both the United States and Japan.
From a two-way high school phenom in rural Japan to the most statistically unique player in modern baseball history, Ohtani has built a legacy defined by a combination of pitching and hitting excellence not seen in the sport for over a century.