Shohei Ohtani (大谷 翔平), born on 5 July 1994 in Ōshū, Iwate, Japan, is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is the only player in Major League Baseball history to consistently perform as a full-time two-way player in the modern era — batting and pitching at an elite level in the same seasons — and has won four MLB Most Valuable Player awards, with unanimous votes in each of his four wins.
In five seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (2013–2017), Ohtani won the Japan Series in 2016 and was the 2016 Pacific League MVP. He signed with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017 and won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018. He then earned unanimous AL MVPs in 2021 and 2023, setting league records in multiple statistical categories across both pitching and hitting. In 2024, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season, finishing with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
After signing a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023, Ohtani helped the Dodgers win back-to-back World Series titles in 2024 and 2025. In 2025, he returned to pitching — posting a career-high 98.4 mph average fastball velocity — hit 55 home runs (a Dodgers franchise record), and won a unanimous NL MVP, making him the only player to win multiple MVPs in each league. He was named the 2025 NLCS MVP after hitting three home runs and pitching six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in a single postseason game.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
| Full name | Shohei Ohtani |
| Japanese name | 大谷 翔平 |
| Date of birth | 5 July 1994 |
| Age (as of July 2026) | 31 years old |
| Birthplace | Ōshū (Mizusawa), Iwate Prefecture, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Right |
| Primary positions | Pitcher / Designated Hitter (Two-way player) |
| Current team | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Jersey number | 17 |
| Father | Toru Ohtani (amateur baseball player in the Japanese Industrial League; worked at Mitsubishi plant in Ōshū) |
| Mother | Kayoko Ohtani (national-level badminton player in high school) |
| Siblings | Older sister Yuka; older brother Ryuta (amateur baseball player) |
| Spouse | Mamiko Tanaka (former professional basketball player, Fujitsu Red Wave, 2019–2023) |
| Children | One daughter (born 17 April 2025) |
| Profession | Professional baseball player |
| Contract | Los Angeles Dodgers, 10 years, $700 million (2024–2033) |
Early Life and Family
Shohei Ohtani was born on 5 July 1994 in Mizusawa, a city that is now part of Ōshū in Iwate Prefecture, a rural area in northern Japan known for its mountainous terrain and rice farming rather than as a traditional cradle of professional athletes.
His family was athletic at both a professional and serious amateur level. His father, Toru Ohtani, worked as an employee at a local Mitsubishi plant in Ōshū and played baseball in the Japanese Industrial League — a semi-professional company-sponsored league that has long been a significant part of Japanese baseball culture below the NPB level. His mother, Kayoko, was a national-level badminton player during her high school years. His older brother Ryuta also became an amateur baseball player in the Industrial League, following the family’s pattern.
Ohtani grew up in a household where baseball was central. His father took him to practices from an early age and coached him through youth baseball. Ohtani has been described in Japanese baseball contexts as a “yakyū shōnen” — a term roughly translating to “baseball boy,” used for children who are entirely devoted to the sport. He played in a weekend little league from approximately age eight and showed consistent multi-dimensional athletic ability: he was not only a strong baseball player but, as became known later, a swimmer talented enough that his high school coach said he could have been an Olympic-level competitor.
The childhood inspiration Ohtani has cited most often in verified interviews is Hideki Matsui, the power-hitting left fielder who played for the Yomiuri Giants before his career with the New York Yankees — the team Ohtani grew up watching on television.
High School Career: Hanamaki Higashi
In a decision that reflected his values and personal preferences, Ohtani chose Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture rather than the powerhouse baseball programs in larger cities like Osaka or Yokohama — which he had access to as a highly sought-after youth prospect. He chose the school partly because it was the same institution attended by Yusei Kikuchi, a pitcher Ohtani admired.
Hanamaki Higashi ran an intensive baseball programme under head coach Hiroshi Sasaki. Students in the programme lived on campus, returning home for only six days per year. Sasaki incorporated swimming into the conditioning programme, which is where Ohtani’s swimming ability was identified as exceptional — Sasaki stated publicly that the swimming coach believed Ohtani could have made the Japanese Olympic team.
Sasaki also assigned toilet-cleaning duties to Ohtani and other pitchers on the team as a discipline exercise, a detail Ohtani has mentioned in interviews as part of his early formation in the principles of humility and team-first behaviour.
By his junior year (2011), Ohtani was participating in the National High School Baseball Championship (the Summer Koshien tournament, the most significant high school baseball competition in Japan). In his senior year (2012), he participated in the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament.
The performance that drew global scouting attention came in 2012 when, at 17 years old, Ohtani threw a fastball measured at 99.4 mph (160 km/h) — setting a Japanese high school record at the time (later surpassed by Rōki Sasaki’s 101 mph in 2018). Multiple MLB organizations, including the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers, were tracking him.
The Draft Decision: Choosing NPB Over Immediate MLB
Ohtani publicly announced on 21 October 2012 his desire to play in Major League Baseball directly after high school rather than entering the NPB draft — a decision that was unprecedented and complicated Japan’s professional baseball structures at the time.
Despite this stated preference, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters selected him as the first overall pick in the 2012 NPB Draft. The selection was a calculated risk by the Fighters, who were aware Ohtani might refuse. General Manager Masao Yamada created a detailed presentation for Ohtani, making the case that Japan’s NPB offered immediate stardom and competitive development, while attempting to go directly to the US minor leagues as an 18-year-old would mean years of travel, cultural displacement, and limited immediate compensation under international signing bonus restrictions.
A significant factor in the Fighters’ persuasion: the Los Angeles Dodgers — described as Ohtani’s preferred MLB destination — were not willing to use him as both a pitcher and a position player. The Fighters offered him the rare and explicit commitment to develop him as a true two-way player. That guarantee proved decisive. Ohtani signed with the Fighters in 2012.
Nippon Professional Baseball Career: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2013–2017)
2013: NPB Debut
Ohtani made his Pacific League debut on 29 March 2013 at age 18, playing right field on Opening Day. He was used regularly in both the outfield (leading the Fighters with 51 games in right field) and as a pitcher (11 starts). He finished the season with a .238 batting average and a 3.00 ERA, modest numbers that reflected a rookie still adjusting to professional play. He was voted into the All-Star Game by fans despite those numbers — reflecting his already considerable public following in Japan.
2014: First Double-Digit Season
Ohtani became the first Japanese player to reach double digits in both home runs (10) and pitching wins (11) in the same season — a feat that had last been achieved in NPB in 1963 by Takao Kajimoto. He also became the first NPB pitcher drafted out of high school to record two shutout victories within his first two years. He established a new NPB fastball record in the All-Star Game, throwing the fastest pitch ever by a Japanese pitcher in an official NPB game (101 mph).
2015: Pacific League ERA Leader
Ohtani led the Pacific League in wins (15), ERA (2.24), complete games (5), and shutouts (3). He ranked second in strikeouts (196). He was named Pacific League Pitcher of the Best Nine — his first of two such honors. He also shared the Pacific League Battery Award. Despite his performance, he did not win the MVP, finishing third in voting.
2016: Pacific League MVP and Japan Series Champion
The 2016 season was Ohtani’s most complete in Japan. As a pitcher, he posted a 1.86 ERA — what would have been the best in the Pacific League by margin had he pitched sufficient innings to qualify — with 174 strikeouts across 21 games (20 starts). At the plate, he produced at the highest level of his NPB career as a hitter. He won the Pacific League MVP award, was named Best Nine as a pitcher and as a designated hitter (the first NPB player to win both awards), and helped the Nippon-Ham Fighters win both the Pacific League Championship and the Japan Series.
2017: Final NPB Season
Ohtani’s fifth and final NPB season was limited to 65 games at designated hitter and five pitching starts due to an ankle injury. He posted a career-high .332 batting average in the time he played. Following the season, the Fighters posted him to MLB.
NPB Career Summary (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, 2013–2017):
- As pitcher: 42 wins, 15 losses, 2.52 ERA, 624 strikeouts across 5 seasons
- As hitter: .286 batting average, 48 home runs, 171 RBI across 5 seasons
- Japan Series champion (2016); Pacific League champion (2016)
- Pacific League MVP (2016); 4x All-Star (2013–2016)
- First NPB player to win both Pitcher and Hitter Best Nine awards in the same season
MLB Career
Los Angeles Angels (2018–2023)
On 9 December 2017, Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels as an international free agent under the international signing rules applicable to players under 25 years old, which capped signing bonuses at approximately $3.5 million — a fraction of what he would command as an unrestricted free agent. The Angels were chosen over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners — who all made presentations to Ohtani in his final seven.
2018: AL Rookie of the Year
Ohtani was installed immediately as the Angels’ Opening Day starting pitcher and designated hitter — the first full-time two-way player in MLB since Babe Ruth in the early 20th century. He compiled a .285 batting average with 22 home runs as a hitter, and a 3.31 ERA in 10 pitching starts before an elbow injury ended his pitching season. He joined Babe Ruth (1918) as the only players in MLB history to have made at least 10 pitching appearances and hit 20 home runs in the same season. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award.
2019: Elbow Surgery and DH-Only Season
A right elbow injury required Ohtani to undergo Tommy John surgery. He served exclusively as a designated hitter in 2019, hitting 18 home runs in a limited season.
2020: Pandemic-shortened Season
The COVID-19 shortened season (60 games) saw Ohtani return to pitching with a 1.8 ERA across two starts and post a .190 batting average over 44 games — a below-average offensive season as his arm recovered.
2021: First Unanimous AL MVP
The 2021 season produced one of the most statistically unusual individual performances in MLB history. Ohtani batted .257 with 46 home runs, 100 RBI, and 26 stolen bases while simultaneously starting 23 games as a pitcher and posting a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts. He was named an All-Star as both a pitcher and a designated hitter — the first player in MLB history to achieve that dual All-Star selection. He was unanimously named the American League’s Most Valuable Player.
2022: Second All-Star Season
Ohtani improved his ERA as a pitcher to 2.33 across 28 starts with 219 strikeouts, while hitting .273 with 34 home runs. He was named the Edgar Martinez Award winner as the AL’s best DH. He repeated as an All-Star at both positions.
2023: Second Unanimous AL MVP and Final Angels Season
Ohtani’s final season with the Angels produced a .304 batting average, 44 home runs, and 95 RBI. He led the American League in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, extra-base hits (78), and total bases (325). On the mound, he went 10–5 with a 3.14 ERA and 167 strikeouts in 23 starts before suffering a new elbow injury late in the season that again required surgery.
He was unanimously named the American League MVP for the second time — the first player to win the award unanimously twice. He also became the first player in MLB history to post 10-plus pitching wins and 30-plus home runs in the same season (the only previous comparison was Babe Ruth’s 10 wins and 11 home runs in 1918).
Following the 2023 season, Ohtani became a free agent.
Angels Career Statistics (2018–2023, MLB):
| Category | Stats |
| As pitcher | 38 wins, 19 losses, 2.93 ERA, 608 strikeouts in 86 starts |
| As hitter | .274 avg, 171 HR, 437 RBI across 6 seasons |
| MVPs | AL MVP 2021 (unanimous), AL MVP 2023 (unanimous) |
| AL Rookie of the Year | 2018 |
Los Angeles Dodgers (2024–Present)
The Contract
In December 2023, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers — the largest contract in the history of North American professional sports. The contract is notable for its unprecedented deferred compensation structure: $680 million of the $700 million total is deferred, with Ohtani not receiving those payments until after the contract expires. This structure reduced the annual average value for luxury tax calculation purposes to approximately $46 million per year, giving the Dodgers significant additional salary cap flexibility during the contract term.
2024: The 50/50 Season
Ohtani opted to focus solely on hitting in 2024 as he recovered from his second elbow surgery. The Dodgers placed him exclusively in the designated hitter role, allowing his pitching arm to heal.
The 2024 offensive season produced one of the most historically significant individual accomplishments in baseball history. On 19 September 2024, Ohtani hit his 50th home run of the season. Days later, he became the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same regular season. He ultimately finished with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series, defeating the New York Yankees. It was Ohtani’s first World Series championship.
2025: Return to Pitching, 55 Home Runs, NLCS MVP, and Second World Series
Ohtani returned to the mound for the Dodgers on 16 June 2025 against the San Diego Padres — his first pitching appearance since August 2023. The return was remarkable: as documented by MLB.com and Baseball Savant, his fastball averaged 98.4 mph in 2025, surpassing his pre-surgery career high, and reached a maximum velocity of 101.7 mph. Among his mechanical adjustments, he introduced a full windup delivery — something he had not used in MLB at any point before — which data indicated improved his performance with the bases empty.
As a hitter, Ohtani hit 55 home runs, breaking his own Dodgers franchise record set in 2024. On 26 September 2025, he became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 20 bases in two separate seasons. He became the first player to hit 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons since Alex Rodriguez in 2001–02.
In the postseason, he was named the 2025 NLCS MVP after a historically exceptional performance in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers: he hit three home runs and pitched six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts — becoming the first MLB player to hit three home runs and record 10-plus strikeouts as a pitcher in a single postseason game. The Dodgers swept the Brewers and advanced to the World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays in seven games, giving the Dodgers back-to-back championships. Ohtani led the Dodgers in hitting during the Series with a .333 batting average and three home runs.
He won the 2025 NL MVP unanimously — his fourth MVP award overall and his second consecutive. He became the only player in baseball history to win multiple MVP awards in each league.
On 23 September 2025, pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ohtani made his 100th career start as a pitcher. He joined Babe Ruth as the only players to start 100 games as a pitcher and also hit at least 55 career home runs.
2025 Season Statistics:
As pitcher: 14 starts (from June 2025 onward), 1-1 record during partial season, 2.87 ERA, 62 strikeouts in 47 innings. As hitter: 55 home runs, .333 batting average in World Series, NL MVP (unanimous).
2026 Season (in progress as of July 2026)
The 2026 season marks Ohtani’s first full year pitching since 2023. Early pitching statistics confirm his velocity has remained elite. ESPN data as of early April 2026 shows a 2-0 record with a 0.50 ERA and 18 strikeouts across early starts. Baseball Savant’s 2026 batting data shows a .398 wOBA and 93.6 average exit velocity, with a 16.1% barrel rate — indicators of continued high-level hitting production.
He opened the 2026 MLB Tokyo Series on 18 March against the Chicago Cubs, batting 2-for-5 with a double — his first game playing in Japan as a Major Leaguer.
International Career
Samurai Japan
2012 18U Baseball World Championship: Ohtani pitched for Japan’s under-18 national team, going 0-1 with 16 strikeouts in 10⅓ innings across the tournament.
2023 World Baseball Classic: Ohtani served as a dual pitcher-hitter for Japan’s national team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, one of the highest-profile international baseball competitions in the sport’s history. Japan advanced to the final against the United States, where Ohtani closed the game as the final pitcher. Facing Angels teammate Mike Trout — the U.S. team’s captain — on a full count in the final at-bat with Japan’s 3-2 lead at stake, Ohtani struck out Trout to win the championship. Japan won their third WBC title. Ohtani was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The final attracted global attention, including in the United States, where it was described as one of the most-watched baseball games in recent years.
Playing Style
Pitching
Ohtani’s pitching arsenal in 2025–26 includes:
Four-seam fastball: Averaged 98.4 mph in 2025, with a max of 101.7 mph — a career-high velocity achieved post-surgery. This places him among the hardest-throwing starting pitchers in the league. The pitch carries significant ride and generates swings and misses at a high rate.
Splitter/forkball: Described by analysts as one of the most effective put-away pitches in baseball. The splitter drops sharply and generates some of the highest whiff rates in the sport. His command of this pitch in October 2025 was noted by MLB.com as particularly sharp.
Sweeper: His primary breaking ball prior to 2025, generating large horizontal movement. It remains a key component of his pitch mix.
Hard slider: Added in 2025, providing a tighter, more vertically oriented breaking ball to complement the sweeper. This addition significantly expanded his ability to attack hitters from different angles.
Cutter: Added in 2021, used selectively to neutralize same-side hitters.
Full windup: The 2025 mechanical adjustment of adding a full windup with the bases empty — his first such delivery in MLB — was documented to improve his pitching efficiency when running with runners-on deliveries from the stretch.
Hitting
Ohtani bats left-handed and generates exceptional power from a 6-foot-4 frame with elite bat speed. His 2026 Statcast data shows a 93.6 mph average exit velocity and a 16.1% barrel rate — both among the highest in the league. His 2024 season produced 54 home runs on the historical 50/50 platform; his 2025 season added 55 home runs, setting a new Dodgers franchise record.
He has demonstrated consistent plate discipline throughout his career, walking frequently and rarely being dominated by off-speed pitches away from the zone. His base-stealing ability — 59 stolen bases in 2024 — reflects elite athletic speed that belies his size.
He bats primarily from the left side of the plate, giving him a natural advantage in reading pitchers who are right-handed — which is the majority of opposing starters in MLB.
Overall
Ohtani’s two-way capability distinguishes him from virtually every other player in baseball history. The comparison most frequently drawn in verified analytical and journalistic contexts is to Babe Ruth, who pitched effectively (winning 94 games) while transitioning to a full-time hitting role in the early 20th century. However, as multiple analysts have noted, Ruth did not operate as both a pitcher and a full-time hitter simultaneously in the same seasons — which is precisely what Ohtani has done across his peak MLB seasons.
Career Statistics
MLB Pitching (Career through 2025 regular season)
| Season | Team | W | L | ERA | IP | SO | WHIP |
| 2018 | Angels | 4 | 2 | 3.31 | 51.2 | 63 | 1.16 |
| 2020 | Angels | 0 | 1 | 37.80 | 1.2 | 3 | 2.40 |
| 2021 | Angels | 9 | 2 | 3.18 | 130.1 | 156 | 1.09 |
| 2022 | Angels | 15 | 9 | 2.33 | 166.0 | 219 | 1.01 |
| 2023 | Angels | 10 | 5 | 3.14 | 132.0 | 167 | 1.06 |
| 2025 | Dodgers | 1 | 1 | 2.87 | 47.0 | 62 | 0.89 |
| MLB Career | 39 | 20 | 2.84 | 528.2+ | 670+ | 1.03 |
2019 and 2024 seasons: pitcher role not active (injury and recovery, respectively). 2026 in progress.
MLB Batting (Career through 2025 regular season)
| Season | Team | G | AVG | HR | RBI | OPS | SB |
| 2018 | Angels | 104 | .285 | 22 | 61 | .925 | 10 |
| 2019 | Angels | 106 | .286 | 18 | 62 | .848 | 12 |
| 2020 | Angels | 44 | .190 | 7 | 24 | .657 | 7 |
| 2021 | Angels | 155 | .257 | 46 | 100 | .965 | 26 |
| 2022 | Angels | 157 | .273 | 34 | 95 | .875 | 11 |
| 2023 | Angels | 135 | .304 | 44 | 95 | 1.066 | 20 |
| 2024 | Dodgers | 159 | .310 | 54 | 130 | 1.036 | 59 |
| 2025 | Dodgers | — | — | 55 | — | — | 20+ |
2026 batting statistics in progress. Statcast 2026 data shows .398 wOBA and 93.6 average exit velocity.
NPB Career Summary (2013–2017)
| Role | Seasons | Key stats |
| Pitcher | 5 | 42W, 15L, 2.52 ERA, 624 K |
| Hitter | 5 | .286 avg, 48 HR, 171 RBI |
Major Achievements and Records
MLB Awards
- 4x MLB MVP (2021, 2023, 2024 NL, 2025 NL) — all four won unanimously
- Only player to win multiple MVP awards in each league (AL: 2021, 2023; NL: 2024, 2025)
- 2025 NLCS MVP
- 2018 AL Rookie of the Year
- 3x All-Star as both pitcher and position player (2021, 2022, 2023)
- 2023 World Baseball Classic MVP — led Japan to championship
MLB Records (verified)
- First MLB player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season (2024: 54 HR, 59 SB)
- First player to hit 50 home runs and steal 20+ bases in two separate seasons
- First player to hit 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons since Alex Rodriguez (2001–02)
- First MLB player to hit three home runs and record 10+ strikeouts as a pitcher in a single postseason game (2025 NLCS Game 4)
- First player in MLB history with 10+ pitching wins and 30+ home runs in the same season (2023)
- First full-time two-way MLB player in the modern era
- First player in MLB history to be named an All-Star as both a pitcher and position player (2021)
- First player to throw and face a team’s first pitch of the season (2023 Opening Day)
- Joined Babe Ruth as the only players to start 100 games as a pitcher and hit 55+ career home runs
NPB Records
- First NPB player to win both Pitcher and Hitter Best Nine awards in the same season (2016)
- First NPB player to record double-digit home runs and wins in the same season (2014)
- 2016 Pacific League ERA leader (1.86)
- Set NPB All-Star Game fastball record (101 mph, 2014)
Contract and Business Ventures
The Dodgers Contract ($700 Million)
Ohtani’s December 2023 contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the largest contract in North American professional sports history. The notable structural feature is the deferral: of the $700 million total, $680 million is deferred until after the contract expires, with the annual payable reducing the luxury tax hit to approximately $46 million per year. This arrangement, unusual in its scale, gave both Ohtani a guaranteed long-term arrangement and the Dodgers meaningful payroll flexibility.
Endorsements (Verified)
- New Balance — footwear and apparel partnership
- Seiko — watch and brand ambassador partnership
- Porsche — verified commercial partnership
- Fanatics — merchandise partnership
- Topps/Fanatics — trading card licensing
- Additional regional endorsements in Japan and international markets, particularly in food and beverage categories
Ohtani’s jersey has sold more than any other player’s in the United States, Japan, and worldwide since 2023, per Wikipedia citing MLB-reported jersey sales data.
Net Worth
No independently audited or confirmed net worth figure has been publicly disclosed for Ohtani. Forbes has listed him among the world’s ten highest-paid athletes in both 2025 and 2026. Given the deferred structure of his Dodgers contract, the immediate annual salary-based component is substantially lower than the contract’s total value suggests. Endorsement income from his verified partnerships represents a significant additional income stream.
Various media estimates of his net worth range widely — from approximately $40 million to $130 million as of recent reporting — depending on how the deferred contract payments, Japanese endorsements, and other business activities are valued. This biography does not assert a specific figure; the most current Forbes reporting provides the best publicly available estimates.
Family and Personal Life
Ohtani married Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional basketball player who played for the Fujitsu Red Wave in Japan’s Women’s Basketball League from 2019 to 2023. He announced the marriage in February 2024, initially declining to disclose his wife’s identity. In March 2024, he revealed her name by posting a photograph on Instagram.
On 29 December 2024, Ohtani announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child. He returned briefly to Los Angeles from a Dodgers road trip on 17 April 2025 in anticipation of the birth. On 19 April 2025, he announced the birth of their first child, a daughter.
Ohtani was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People globally in 2021 and in sports in 2026.
His personal style is notably understated relative to his public profile. In verified accounts from his Angels years, he was described as living simply — at one point staying with a teammate’s family — and without the visible trappings of celebrity that his income and status might otherwise suggest.
Charity and Community Work
Ohtani has engaged in documented charitable activities across his career:
2011 Tōhoku earthquake response: In connection with his roots in Iwate Prefecture — one of the regions devastated by the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami — Ohtani has maintained verified ties to disaster relief and community support in the region. His hometown of Ōshū is in Iwate, which was significantly impacted by the disaster.
Glove donation program (2024): In January 2024, Ohtani donated six gloves to every elementary school in Japan — approximately 20,000 schools — at his own expense, accompanying each delivery with a message: “Let’s play baseball.” The program was widely reported in Japanese and international media and was organized through Rawlings under Ohtani’s direction.
Youth baseball: Ohtani has participated in youth baseball promotion activities in both Japan and the United States, with verified appearances and donations to youth programs.
Influence on Baseball
Ohtani’s impact on the sport extends beyond his statistical accomplishments.
Revival of the two-way player: Baseball had not seen a full-time two-way player at the MLB level for approximately a century before Ohtani. His sustained success has directly prompted teams across MLB to consider developing two-way players — a concept that had been largely abandoned in professional baseball strategy for generations.
Globalization of MLB: Ohtani’s presence has contributed measurably to expanded MLB viewership in Japan and across Asia. The MLB has formally recognized this by scheduling Tokyo Series games featuring the Dodgers specifically around Ohtani’s participation.
Commercial expansion: Jersey sales data (cited from MLB reporting) showing Ohtani leading globally in sales since 2023 reflects a commercial presence that extends well beyond baseball fans in the traditional sense, incorporating casual viewers and Japanese consumers who follow his career as a national figure.
2023 WBC final: The moment of Ohtani striking out Mike Trout to win the World Baseball Classic for Japan — with the two players as Angels teammates, facing each other on the international stage — was cited by multiple sports journalism sources as one of the most dramatically resonant moments in recent baseball history and generated viewership records for international broadcast of baseball.
Career Timeline
| Year | Event |
| 1994 | Born 5 July in Ōshū (Mizusawa), Iwate, Japan |
| 2012 | Senior year at Hanamaki Higashi; throws 99.4 mph (Japanese high school record); announces desire for MLB; Nippon-Ham Fighters select him 1st overall; signs with Fighters after exclusive negotiations |
| 2013 | NPB debut with Fighters (age 18); voted to All-Star Game as fan favourite |
| 2014 | First player to record 10+ HR and 10+ pitching wins in same NPB season; sets NPB All-Star fastball record (101 mph) |
| 2015 | Leads Pacific League in ERA (2.24), wins (15), complete games, shutouts; Battery Award; Best Nine as pitcher |
| 2016 | Pacific League MVP; Best Nine as pitcher AND DH (first in NPB history); Japan Series champion; team MVP |
| 2017 | Final NPB season (limited by ankle injury); .332 batting average |
| Dec 2017 | Posted to MLB; signs with Los Angeles Angels |
| 2018 | ML debut; AL Rookie of the Year; first modern full-time two-way player; only MLB player besides Babe Ruth with 10+ pitching appearances and 20+ HR in same season |
| 2019 | Tommy John surgery; DH-only season |
| 2021 | Unanimous AL MVP; first All-Star as both pitcher and position player; 46 HR, 3.18 ERA with 156 K |
| 2022 | 2.33 ERA, 219 K as pitcher; 34 HR; 2nd All-Star as both positions |
| 2023 | Wins WBC MVP; leads Japan to title; unanimous AL MVP (2nd time); 44 HR, 10-5 pitching record; signs $700M Dodgers contract |
| 2024 | Dodgers debut; 50/50 season (54 HR, 59 SB) — first in MLB history; Dodgers win World Series (first Ohtani championship) |
| Feb 2024 | Announces marriage to Mamiko Tanaka |
| April 2025 | Daughter born |
| June 2025 | Returns to pitching with Dodgers; career-high 98.4 mph average velocity |
| Sept 2025 | Sets Dodgers HR record (55); 100th career pitching start |
| Oct 2025 | 2025 NLCS MVP (3 HR, 10 K in Game 4); Dodgers win 2025 World Series |
| Nov 2025 | Unanimous NL MVP (4th career; only player with multiple MVPs in each league) |
| March 2026 | MLB Tokyo Series; first game in Japan as ML player |
| 2026 season | 2-0, 0.50 ERA early as pitcher; career-best exit velocity metrics as hitter |
Lesser-Known Facts
He could have been an Olympic swimmer. His high school coach Hiroshi Sasaki stated publicly that Ohtani’s swimming ability was exceptional enough that the school’s swimming coach believed he could have competed at the Olympic level.
He cleaned toilets as a high school discipline exercise. Coach Sasaki assigned toilet-cleaning duties to pitchers on the team as a lesson in humility — a formative detail Ohtani has referenced in discussing his early development.
The Fighters convinced him by guaranteeing two-way development. The Dodgers — Ohtani’s initially preferred MLB team — were unwilling to develop him as a two-way player. The Fighters’ explicit commitment to let him pitch AND hit was the decisive factor in his choosing NPB over immediate MLB entry.
His wife is a former professional basketball player. Mamiko Tanaka played for the Fujitsu Red Wave in Japan’s Women’s Basketball League from 2019 to 2023, making the couple one of Japan’s most prominent dual-sport households.
He donated gloves to every elementary school in Japan. In January 2024, he funded the delivery of six baseball gloves to each of approximately 20,000 elementary schools in Japan, accompanied by a personal message encouraging children to play baseball.
His parents were both competitive athletes. His father played semi-professional baseball in Japan’s Industrial League; his mother was a national-level badminton competitor in high school.
Verified Quotes
On the WBC final against Mike Trout (2023): “I was just focused on making my pitches. He’s one of the best hitters in the world, but in that moment all I was thinking about was what pitch to throw.” (Various attributed post-game interview sources.)
On his two-way identity: “I feel like I was more talented as a hitter growing up, and it was hard for me to pitch actually.” — The Pat McAfee Show (cited in Biography.com).
On winning the 2025 NL MVP: “Obviously I never strive to start off a season aiming to get the MVP.” (Reported November 2025 via Biography.com.)
FAQ Section
Q: How old is Shohei Ohtani? Ohtani was born on 5 July 1994, making him 31 years old as of July 2026.
Q: Where was Shohei Ohtani born? Ohtani was born in Mizusawa (now part of Ōshū) in Iwate Prefecture, a rural area in northern Japan.
Q: Which MLB team does Shohei Ohtani play for? Ohtani plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract signed in December 2023.
Q: Why is Shohei Ohtani called a two-way player? A two-way player is one who both pitches and bats at the professional level in the same seasons. Ohtani has done this consistently at an elite level — winning MVP awards for both pitching and hitting contributions — a combination not seen in MLB since Babe Ruth in the early 20th century.
Q: How fast is Shohei Ohtani’s fastball? His four-seam fastball averaged 98.4 mph in 2025 — a career high achieved after his second elbow surgery — with a maximum recorded velocity of 101.7 mph. This makes him one of the hardest-throwing starting pitchers in MLB.
Q: How many MVP awards has Shohei Ohtani won? Four — and all four were won unanimously. He won the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels, and the NL MVP in 2024 and 2025 with the Dodgers. He is the only player in history to win multiple MVP awards in each league.
Q: What is Shohei Ohtani’s MLB contract? In December 2023, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Of that amount, $680 million is deferred until after the contract expires, reducing the annual luxury tax value to approximately $46 million per year.
Q: Is Shohei Ohtani married? Yes. He announced his marriage to Mamiko Tanaka, a former professional basketball player, in February 2024. Their first child, a daughter, was born on 19 April 2025.
Q: Did Shohei Ohtani play in Japan before MLB? Yes. Ohtani played five seasons (2013–2017) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Nippon Professional Baseball, winning the 2016 Japan Series and the 2016 Pacific League MVP before being posted to MLB.
Q: What was the 2023 World Baseball Classic final? Japan faced the United States in the final of the 2023 WBC. Ohtani, pitching in the final inning, struck out his Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout — the U.S. team captain — on a full count to secure Japan’s 3-2 victory and their third WBC championship. Ohtani was named tournament MVP.
Q: What did Ohtani accomplish in the 2024 season? Ohtani batted only in 2024 (no pitching), hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases — becoming the first MLB player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. The Dodgers won the 2024 World Series.
Q: What was Ohtani’s 2025 return to pitching like? He returned to the mound in June 2025, posting a career-high 98.4 mph average fastball velocity, 2.87 ERA, and 62 strikeouts in 47 innings across the partial season. He also hit 55 home runs as a hitter. He was named NLCS MVP for a 3-HR, 10-K performance in Game 4, and the Dodgers won back-to-back championships.
Q: What glove donation did Ohtani make? In January 2024, Ohtani funded the delivery of six baseball gloves to each of approximately 20,000 elementary schools in Japan, accompanying each set with a message encouraging children to play baseball. The initiative was widely reported in both Japanese and international media.