Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, led his team to the World Series championship in 2024.
His parents, Kayoko and Toru Ohtani are proud of their son becoming the only player in Major League Baseball history to win three MVP awards unanimously.
Highlights
- Toru Ohtani played amateur baseball in the Japanese Industrial League, and Kayoko played badminton at the national level in high school.
- Shohei is the youngest of three children, and his brother plays amateur baseball in the Japanese Industrial League.
- His father regrets the upbringing of his first son as he couldn’t spend more time with him due to his busy work schedule.
Shohei Ohtani, aka Shotime, is renowned as a baseball boy who lives, eats, and breathes baseball. He played baseball in his second year of elementary school.
He could have played for any powerhouse high school team in big cities but opted to stay local as Yusei Kikuchi, whom he admired.
On October 21, 2012, he announced his decision to pursue a career in Major League Baseball rather than become a professional in Japan.
However, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters drafted him in the 2012 NPB draft and played for some years before a possible MLB move.
Shohei signed with the Los Angeles Angels on December 9, 2017, and made his MLB debut in 2018 spring training, which was disastrous.
Media outlets suggested he needed plenty of Triple-A minor league appearances before starting for the Angels, but he proved his worth by the end of the 2018 regular season.
He won his first American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2021 and second in 2023.
He became a free agent after his contract ended after the 2023 season and signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on December 11, 2023.
Shohei Ohtani Grew Up In An Athletic Family
30-year-old, Shohei Ohtani, the son of Kayoko and Toru Ohtani, was born on July 5, 1994, in Mizusawa, Iwate. He belongs to an Asian ethnic background.
He is the youngest of three children and grew up with his sister, Yuka, and brother, Ryuta. His brother plays amateur baseball in the Japanese Industrial League.
23 years old and 18 years old with mom and dad pic.twitter.com/XoJMCdW7Xe
— shobae 大谷翔平 ¹⁷ Ohtani Shohei ¹⁷ 🐶 (@shoheisaveus) July 5, 2018
Kayoko excelled in badminton during her youth and played at the national level in high school. She continued to play for non-professional clubs throughout her life.
Shohei mentioned that she used to take him to the courts when he was little, and he could never beat his mother in her game.
On the other hand, Toru played amateur baseball in the Japanese Industrial League but never went professional.
After a shoulder injury at age 25, he started working at a local automobile manufacturing plant.
Toru coached his children, and they showed an aptitude for the game at an early age. He was first a coach and then a father to his children.
He kept a notebook where he noted advice for his children during games.
I wasn’t particularly tough in his upbringing. It was very ordinary, really just ordinary.
Toru has mentioned.
Shohei and his father probably spent more time on the field than anywhere else until he reached high school. He inherited the baseball gene from his father.
Nonetheless, his parents lived a prosperous life in Oshu, Japan, and supported their son by visiting him during his most significant games.
They have encouraged him throughout his athletic career even though they live thousands of miles away.
Shohei Ohtani Was Lively From A Young Age
Shohei Ohtani boldly tried different sports than his elder brother Ryuta Ohtani, who was scared and wouldn’t play on playground equipment when growing up.
He engaged in whatever he was interested in and worried his parents about dangerous activities when they were not around.
Shohei used to get caught up in small matters and get angry. His father had recalled a moment when his notebook got a crease in it and protested that somebody had touched it.
Later, Toru scolded and told him not to get angry over little things.
The baseball pitcher became interested in the sport after seeing a hardball team play.
In junior high school, he entered the “Ichinoseki Little Senior” baseball association, and his father became a coach, asking permission from the manager.
Sometimes, Toru regrets the upbringing of his first son. His busy work schedule made it hard to spend more time with him.
Additional Information
- Shohei Ohtani competed as a swimmer at Hanamaki Higashi High School, and his coach, Hiroshi Sasaki, said he could have competed in the Olympics as a fast swimmer.
- His coach used to assign him toilet-cleaning chores to teach him humility.
- He married Mamiko Tanaka, who played college basketball at Waseda University in Japan.
- His net worth is estimated at $50 million as of 2024.
