Shohei Ohtani

"Ohtani" redirects here. For other people with the surname, see Ōtani (surname).

The native form of this personal name is Ōtani Shōhei. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Shohei Ohtani
Portrait of Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani with the Dodgers in 2024
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 17
Pitcher / Designated hitter
Born: (1994-07-05) July 5, 1994 (age 30)
Ōshū, Iwate, Japan
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: March 29, 2013, for the Hokkaidō Nippon-Ham Fighters
MLB: March 29, 2018, for the Los Angeles Angels
NPB statistics
(through 2017 season)
Win–loss record42–15
Earned run average2.52
Strikeouts624
Batting average.284
Hits297
Home runs48
Runs batted in166
MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)
Win–loss record38–19
Earned run average3.01
Strikeouts608
Batting average.282
Home runs225
Runs batted in567
Stolen bases145
Teams
Career highlights and awards
NPB
MLB
Team Japan
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
World Baseball Classic
Gold medal – first place 2023 Miami Team
WBSC Premier12
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Tokyo Team
Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani's name in kanji
Japanese name
Kanji大谷 翔平
Hiraganaおおたに しょうへい
Transcriptions
RomanizationŌtani Shōhei

Shohei Ohtani (Japanese: 大谷 翔平, Hepburn: Ōtani Shōhei, pronounced [oːtaɲi ɕoːheː]; born July 5, 1994) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime",[1] he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Because of his elite contributions as a hitter and as a pitcher, a rarity as a two-way player, Ohtani's 2021–2024 seasons are considered among the greatest in baseball history, with some comparing them favorably to the early career of Babe Ruth.[2][3][4][5][6]

Considered early on as an elite two-way player, Ohtani was the first pick of the Fighters in the 2012 draft. He played in NPB for the Fighters from 2013 through 2017 as a pitcher and an outfielder, and won the 2016 Japan Series with them. The Fighters posted Ohtani to MLB after the 2017 season, and he signed with the Angels, soon winning the 2018 American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award.

Following an injury-plagued 2019 and 2020, Ohtani hit 46 home runs and struck out 156 batters en route to winning his first AL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2021, a statistically unprecedented two-way season that saw him bestowed with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award.[d] In 2022, he became the first player in the modern era to qualify for both the hitting and pitching leaderboards in one season, finishing third in the AL with 219 strikeouts.[e]

Ohtani won his second AL MVP in 2023, leading the AL with 44 home runs while recording 10 wins as a pitcher. He was the first player to win multiple unanimous MVPs and the first Japanese-born player to win a league home run title.[8] After the 2023 season, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, the largest contract in professional sports history.[9] Unable to pitch in 2024 while recovering from a second elbow injury, Ohtani played as designated hitter for the Dodgers and became the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season. He won the 2024 World Series in his first MLB postseason appearance.

Internationally, Ohtani represents Japan. At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he won the MVP Award for the tournament following Japan's victory over the United States. The 2023 final was one of the most-watched baseball games in history,[10] culminating with Ohtani striking out Angels teammate and USA captain Mike Trout on a full count, securing a 3–2 win and Japan's third title.[11]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ 木下大輔 (April 11, 2018). "日本ハム中田３号 俺が元祖「ＳＨＯ ＴＩＭＥ」だ". 日刊スポーツ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  2. ^ Secatore, Dan; Joiner, Bryan (March 24, 2023). "Shohei Ohtani is the Greatest Baseball Player of All Time". Over the Monster. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Camras, Noah (September 30, 2022). "Angels News: Is Shohei Ohtani Having the Greatest Single Season Ever?". SI.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  4. ^ "Babe Ruth vs. Shohei Ohtani: Key stats to know in debate over MLB's best two-way player ever". March 29, 2023. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Verducci, Tom (July 5, 2021). "Shohei Ohtani Isn't Babe Ruth—He's Better". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  6. ^ "Only One Player Has Ever Been As Good As Shohei Ohtani". June 30, 2021. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Bollinger, Rhett (October 5, 2022). "Ohtani makes history again, becoming 1st player to do this". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  8. ^ "Shohei Ohtani first player to win MVP by unanimous vote twice". Los Angeles Times. November 16, 2023. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  9. ^ Wexler, Sarah (December 11, 2023). "$700M stunner: Ohtani to Dodgers on biggest deal in sports history". Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  10. ^ "USA-Japan WBC Title Game Could Be the Most-Watched Baseball Game in History". March 21, 2023. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  11. ^ "Japan tops Team USA in dramatic finish to claim 3rd Classic title". Major League Baseball. March 21, 2023. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.