Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese baseball player. Shohei Ohtani is the first player to be named to the All-Star team as both a pitcher and a hitter. Shohei found and developed his abilities during his high school career.
Shohei has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career as a professional athlete.
In the 2016 Japan Series, he suffered one of his first professional injuries.
Table of Contents
Childhood
Shohei Ohtani was born on July 5, 1994, in Iwate, Japan.
He is, after all, the youngest of Kayoko and Koru Ohtani’s children.
Both of Ohtani’s parents were professional athletes, therefore he hails from a sporting family.
Kayoko Ohtani, his mother, was a national-level badminton player in high school.
Toru Ohtani, his father, was also a corporate league baseball player.
Meanwhile, Ohtani worked in a Mitsubishi plant in the area.
As a result, Shohei’s father was continually encouraging him to play baseball.
Shohei also began playing at a young age, and by the age of eight, he had established himself as a regular in a small weekend league.
Shohei improved at the games as time went on, but he never considered baseball to be anything more than a pastime.
Education
Shohei attended Hanamaki Higashi High School and graduated with honors.
Those were the days when he realized his baseball potential.
As a kid, Shohei was a huge fan of Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants’ power-hitting left fielder Hideki Matsui.
He also never missed a single-player match and frequently watched it on television.
Net Worth
Shohei Ohtani’s net worth is still under review.
As a rookie, Shohei signed a year contract that earned him an average salary of $545,000.
Following it, he made an annual average of $650,000.
Initially, he signed with the Los Angeles Angels with a signing bonus of $2.315 million.
However, recently, he resigned from his contract with the Angels for two years worth $8.5 million.
As of 2022, Shohei is reported to make an annual average salary of $4,250,000.
His endorsement deals include Asics, JAL Airlines, Mitsubishi Financial Group, Seiko Watch in Japan, Fanatics, Oakley, and Topps.
Shohei earns almost $10 million from his endorsement deals, according to the sources.
Likewise, he is also the brand ambassador for Tokyo Nishikawa—an air mattress company.
He was an ambassador for some of the other companies: Savas Protein Powder, Aquarius Sports Drinks, Oakley Sports Sunglasses, and Descente, a sports apparel company.
Furthermore, his brand deals earn him around $1 to $2 million.
Talking about the other physical assets of the Ohtani, he owns a big house with a large swimming pool.
Facts of Shohei Ohtani
| Full Name | Shohei Ohtani (大谷 翔平) |
| Date of Birth | July 5, 1994 |
| Birth Place | Ōshū, Iwate, Japan |
| Nick Name | Sho Time |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
| Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
| Age | 27 years old |
| Height | 6’4″ (1.93 meters) |
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lbs) |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Koru Ohtani |
| Mother’s Name | Kayoko Ohtani |
| Siblings | Two older siblings (one named; Ryuta Ohtani) |
| Education |
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| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Girlfriend | None |
| Profession | Baseball Player |
| Position | Pitcher, Designated Hitter, and Outfielder |
| Playing Style | Bats (Left), Throws (Right) |
| Professional Debut |
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| Teams |
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| Net Worth | Under Review |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Rookie Card, Funko Pop, Jersey, Signed Items |
| Last Update | June 2022 |
Charity
Ohtani is as active in charitable activities as he is in his game. Back in 2014, when Shohei set the record with the fastest pitch with his 162 km/h (101 mph) fastball, his jersey came in the auction.
His jersey was sold for 1,752,000 yen ($17,000), becoming the top seller at the All-Star 2014 Charity Auction. Later, he donated those earnings to three Tohoku earthquake children’s relief funds.
During the start of the pandemic, Shohei voiced his support for health care workers in his homeland. He supported the Japan Mask Project and even raised funds for the Japan Heart.
Likewise, Shohei also donated his bat at the charity auction for Yahoo Auction.
Career as a hobbyist
Shohei found and developed his abilities during his high school career.
He wants to be a batter and a pitcher, so that’s what he wants to do. As a high school senior, he threw a fastball that reached 160 km/h (99 mph).
He participated in a number of competitions at the time. Shohei had 16 strikeouts, eight walks, five hits, five runs, and a 4.35 earned run average at the 2012 Under-18 Championship.
It was no surprise that the young Shohei received multiple contracts from professional teams as a result of it.
He was also certain to play in the United States, as he planned to leave Japan immediately after graduating from high school.
Things changed after a month-long negotiation between the Japanese League and Shohei.
After all, he joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, where he pitched and played in the outfield.
Professional Career
Shohei, of course, began his professional career at the age of eighteen. On March 29, 2013, he was drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Nippon-Ham Fighters of Hokkaido
As a rookie, Shohei shone as the right fielder in the season opener. He also made his debut in the Pacific League, where he was an outfielder and pitcher in the same year.
Shohei set a number of records, being the second rookie to be drafted out of high school and the first to play two positions.
Not to add that he was chosen as the high-profile rookie for the All-Star Game by his supporters.
Shohei became the first Japanese baseball player to hit double digits in home runs and victories not long after.
With his 162 km/h (101 mph) fastball, he became the first Japanese to have the fastest pitch the next year.
Shohei guided the Japanese national team to international victories in 2014. He’d also developed into a formidable pitcher with a slew of trophies to his credit.
In addition, he was the first player to win both the pitcher and hitter titles. Shohei finally made an impression on MLB organizations after years of playing in the Japanese League.
He had an injury that caused a few people to back out during their time together, but he still had a lot of options.
Angels of Anaheim
Shohei inked a multi-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels on December 8, 2017. He began his career with the 25-man roster on Opening Day.
Shohei became the first Angels player to hit a home run in each of his first two home games.
He made his MLB debut in early 2018, striking out six batters in six innings despite surrendering three runs to earn his first win.
Shohei had hit his 19th home run in a single season by September of 2018. It set a new record for the most home runs by a Japanese player.
The next year, he became the first Japanese player in MLB history to hit the cycle. Shohei later had some issues at the start of 2020, but he was soon back on track.
He became the first player to start a game on the mound in nearly a century in 2021, and he led the Majors in home runs.
He is also the first pitcher and the first Japanese player to be elected to the Home Run Derby in 2021.
At the same time, he has become the only player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs and steal 10 bases in his first 81 games.
Injuries
Shohei has suffered multiple injuries throughout his career as a professional athlete. In the 2016 Japan Series, he suffered one of his first professional injuries.
He had an ankle ailment at the time, which necessitated surgery on his right ankle. In addition, he was unable to participate in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
He later struggled with a first-degree UCL strain in his right elbow after signing with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017.
As a result, he received a platelet-rich plasma injection to treat his injury.
Shohei also left the game early after the second inning owing to a blister on his right middle finger during his match against the Boston Red Sox.
Following that, he was placed on the injured list due to a Grade 2 UCL sprain in his right elbow. As a result, he received platelet-rich plasma and stem-cell injections.
Shohei’s MRI later that year revealed damage to his UCL. In October, he underwent Tommy John Surgery successfully.
Similarly, they announced in 2019 that Shohei would need another surgery for his bipartite patella.
He then suffered a flexor strain in his right elbow in 2020. Meanwhile, a blister forced him to miss a start against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Personal Life
Talking about Shohei Ohtani’s personal life, he is still single.
Yes, he is married; however, he has been involved in numerous dating rumors before.
At first, he was linked with a Hawaiian pitcher and sports marketer, Kamalani Dung.
They were seen in a picture together; hence, the words spread out.
As for his posts and updates, Shohei is still single.
Also read: John Laurinaitis, Kadeem Hardison, Cristina Servin
Body Measurements, Age, and Height
Shohei Ohtani is 27 years old and celebrates his birthday on July 5.
He was born under the Cancer zodiac sign.
Shohei is a gorgeous man with a trim body and a healthy build.
His skin is fair, and he has short black hair and dark brown eyes. He also has a smile that could melt anyone’s heart.
Anyway, based on his bodily dimensions, he is a man of considerable stature.
He stands 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 meters) tall and weighs 92 kilograms (203 lbs).
He does, however, wear a size 11 shoe (US).
Ohtani has a chest measurement of 43 inches, a biceps measurement of 16 inches, and a waist measurement of 34 inches.
Shohei engages in a variety of routines to stay in shape, including cardio, deadlifting, treadmill running, strengthening, and many others.
According to his needs, he lately adjusted his food programs and activity schedule.
Social Media
His Instagram has 1.3 million followers and his Twitter has 26k followers.
