Japanese · Oshu, Iwate, Japan · Born 5 July 1994Japanese baseball player renowned as the most exceptional two-way talent in modern MLB history, excelling as both pitcher and designated hitter.
Shohei Ohtani was born in Oshu, Iwate, Japan in 1994. His father Toru played baseball professionally in Japan. He played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters from 2013 to 2017, establishing himself as the finest two-way player in Japanese baseball history before joining Major League Baseball. The Los Angeles Angels signed him in 2017. His 2021 season — 46 home runs, 100 RBI as a hitter, and a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 23 starts as a pitcher — won him the unanimous AL MVP and produced the most discussed individual season in baseball in two decades. He won a second MVP in 2023 with the Angels. He signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023 — the largest contract in professional sports history. He won the World Series with the Dodgers in 2024. He married Japanese professional basketball player Tanaka Mamiko in early 2024. The revelation that his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara had used $17 million of Ohtani's funds to pay off illegal gambling debts — without Ohtani's knowledge — was one of the most discussed sports stories of 2024. His interpreter was convicted and sentenced. Ohtani's performance on the field continued without apparent disruption. He is the first player in MLB history to bat .280 or above with 40 or more home runs in multiple seasons while also pitching at an All-Star level. Ohtani claimed a second straight World Series ring in 2025 as the Dodgers became the first team since the 1998-2000 Yankees to repeat as champions, beating the Toronto Blue Jays in a seven-game classic that ended 5-4 in 11 innings on 1 November. His signature moment came in the NLCS clincher against Milwaukee, when he hit three home runs and struck out ten across six shutout innings in one of the great individual performances in postseason history, earning NLCS MVP honours.
Two-way player excelling as both pitcher and hitter
How They Played
Power hitter with 100+ mph fastball, rare two-way talent
Lasting Impact
Revolutionized modern baseball as elite two-way player
Career Honours
- AL MVP 2x (2021,2023)
- World Series (2024)
- AL All-Star 6x
- HR Derby champion (2021)
- World Series champion (2025)
- NLCS MVP (2025)
| Team | Period | Fee | Games | Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nippon-Ham Fighters | 2013–2017 | — | 104 | #17 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 2018–2023 | — | 498 | — |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2024–2024 | €700m | 159 | — |
 Japan | — | — | 23 | — |
Japanese Athletes