Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is the first player to both start on the mound and bat regularly since Babe Ruth in 1919.
Ohtani was born in Oshu, Iwate, Japan on July 5, 1994. He began playing baseball at a young age and quickly developed into one of the top prospects in Japan. In 2012, he led Hanamaki Higashi High School to the championship of the Japanese High School Baseball Championship.
After graduating from high school, Ohtani was drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He made his NPB debut in 2013 and quickly established himself as one of the league’s best pitchers. In 2016, he won the Pacific League MVP Award after leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA.
Ohtani posted a 104mph fastball in the 2016 season. It is the fastest fastball ever recorded by a Japanese pitcher. The Fighters won the 2016 Japan Series and Ohtani was named the MVP of the series.
In 2017, Ohtani began to develop his hitting skills. He hit 22 home runs and drove in 67 runs in 130 games. He also pitched in 10 games, going 4-1 with a 3.20 ERA. That year Ohtani was selected to represent Japan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Following the 2017 season, Ohtani posted a historic performance in the 2018 season where he batted .286 with 41 home runs and 104 RBIs. He also went 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA on the mound in 10 starts. Named the unanimous MVP of the Pacific League, Ohtani became the first NPB player ever with both at least 10 home runs and 10 wins in a single season.
After posting these incredible stats, Ohtani was expected to be posted to MLB and enter the league in 2018. Choosing the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani signed a two-year contract with the Angels in December of 2017.
In his first MLB season, Ohtani finished with a 4-2 record and a 3.31 ERA in 10 starts and hit .285 with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs in 104 games as a designated hitter. He was unanimously voted the 2018 MLB Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in the AL MVP voting.
Ohtani is widely considered one of the most exciting players in baseball and is the face of the league globally. He is a unique talent who can both pitch and hit at an elite level, and he is still just 27 years old. Ohtani is poised to have a long and successful career in MLB and is sure to continue to make history.
Additional Information
- Ohtani is the first Japanese player to win the MLB Rookie of the Year Award.
- He is the first player to start on the mound and bat regularly in MLB since Babe Ruth in 1919.
- Ohtani is the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 10 bases in a season since Alfonso Soriano in 2006.
- He is the first player to post a 104mph fastball and hit a 115mph home run in the same year.
- Ohtani is the most marketable player in baseball and has endorsement deals with Nike, Fanatics, and Topps.
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