Shohei Ohtani, born July 5, 1994, fondly called “Shotime“, is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher, outfielder, and hitter who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born in Ōshū, Iwate, Japan.
Wiki Profile
| Full Name: | Shohei Ohtani |
| Date of Birth: | July 5, 1994 |
| Place of Birth: | Ōshū, Iwate |
| State of Origin: | Iwate |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Occupation: | Baseball player |
| Net Worth: | $14 million |
| Girlfriend: | Kamalani Dung |
Early Life and Education
Shohei Ohtani was born in Ōshū, Iwate, Japan to Kayoko and Toru Otani. His father worked at a nearby auto manufacturing plant and was an amateur baseball player who competed in the Japanese Industrial League.
His mother, Kayoko, was a national-level badminton player in high school.
Othani is the youngest of three children; his older siblings are Ryuta, who plays amateur baseball in the Japanese Industrial League, and Yuka.
He was referred to as a “yaky shnen” in Japan, which is a term for a child who is obsessed with baseball.
Shohei Ohtani was mentored by his father and showed early talent for the sport.
Ohtani started playing baseball in his second year of elementary school, and in his seventh grade regional championship game, he recorded all but one of the 18 outs needed.
Career
Shohei Ohtani had the opportunity to play baseball as a teen for any dominant high school team in major cities like Osaka or Yokohama.
However, he chose to stay local, enrolling at Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, Northern Japan, where pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, whom he admired, also attended high school.
Ohtani also competed there as a swimmer, and his high school baseball coach, Hirosh.
The players of Hanamaki Higashi stayed on campus and only visited their homes six days a year while under Sasaki’s direction. To instill humility in the young pitcher, Sasaki made Ohtani clean the bathrooms.
When he was an 18-year-old high school pitcher, Ohtani fired a fastball at a speed of 160 km/h (99 mph).
He delivered the first pitch at the Summer Koshien, or national high school baseball championship, in Japan.
The Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers were among the teams that showed interest in Ohtani after he stated a desire to enter the major leagues straight out of high school.
On October 21, 2012, he announced that he would pursue a career in Major League Baseball rather than turn professional in Japan.
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters chose to select him.
Shohei Ohtani Net Worth
Shohei Othani is a Japanese baseball player with a net worth of $14 million. His income is primarily from his contracts with the Los Angeles.
Personal Life
Ippei Mizuhara is Ohtani’s personal interpreter with the Los Angeles Angels and has known him since Ohtani was 18 years old, starting in 2013 during Ohtani’s days with the Fighters.
Mizuhara’s role as Ohtani’s personal interpreter ranges from confidante to conditioning coach and throwing partner, as well as making sure Ohtani is understood by the media.
Despite not being fluent in English or Spanish, Ohtani prefers to speak.
Shohei Ohtani is rumored to be dating Kamalani Dung, a professional pitcher, and marketer based in Hawaii.
Social Media
- Instagram: @shoheiohtani
- Twitter: @shoheisaveus
