Shohei Ohtani was born on July 5, 1994, in Ōshū, Iwate, Japan. He is one of the biggest baseball players playing in Major League Baseball at the moment, with the Japanese player currently on the roster of the Los Angeles Angels as of the 2022 season. He is well-known around the league and plays as a pitcher, designated hitter, and outfielder for the Californian franchise.
In this article, we will detail everything you need to know about Shohei Ohtani, including a number of key details that will make you feel as though you know the star Japanese player inside out!
Who is Shohei Ohtani?
As highlighted, Shohei Ohtani is a baseball player who currently represents the Los Angeles Dodgers in the MLB. He is also known as “Shotime” as he has been given that particular nickname because of what he regularly manages to achieve while on the baseball field for the Dodgers.
He has not always been a part of America’s professional baseball league, though, as he entered the MLB in 2018 after five years in Japan’s professional sports league; the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) competition.
Here, he represented the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and managed to achieve a very good record that had earned him a move to the States. For instance, he managed to achieve a 42-15 win record with the Fighters, including a total of 45 home runs.
Shohei Ohtani’s Family
Shohei Ohtani comes from a family background in which his mother was also a sporting star. Kayoko was a national-level badminton player when in high school, while his father was an amateur baseball player who competed in the Japanese Industrial League.
Ohtani is the youngest of three siblings, with an older sister, Yuka, and an older brother, Ryuta, who also followed in their father’s footsteps and played amateur baseball. Shohei’s father coached him to play baseball while he was growing up.
MLB Career
Of course, Shohei Ohtani’s fame has come since playing in the MLB with the Angels, as a wider audience has become aware of his ability when he steps up to the plate and the mound for the Californian-based franchise.
He has already been able to add a number of achievements to his long honors board since arriving in America, with accomplishments including being a 2× All-Star (2021, 2022), the AL MVP (2021), as well as an All-MLB First Team (2021) and the AL Rookie of the Year (2018) among many other personal accolades.
In fact, it would appear he could be in line for more personal recognition this year, as according to the best sports betting odds in Canada he is the favorite of winning the American League MVP 2022 with -110 odds.
This is because he has continued to break and set new statistical records throughout the 2022 season.
Shohei Ohtani Endorsements
Naturally, a player of Shohei Ohtani’s ability would likely have a number of endorsements deals as brands will want to align themselves with the star players of the MLB in order to potentially be able to appeal to wider audiences and new markets.
Therefore, it should not come as a surprise to learn that the Japanese star has a number of deals and sponsorships. Among them, they include the following:
- exclusive multiyear memorabilia deal with Fanatics.
- Deals with brands including Asics, Descente, Japan Airlines, Nishikawa Co., and Seiko Watch in Japan and Hugo Boss, New Era, Panini, Fanatics, Oakley, and Topps in the United States.
- A global ambassador for cryptocurrency firm FTX partnering on animal charity initiatives.
- He also has a partnership with Nintendo, as well as the MLB The Show 22 cover athlete.
Shohei Ohtani Net Worth
With all of those sponsorship deals and brand endorsements, it is hardly a surprise to learn that Shohei Ohtani is making a lot of money away from baseball, as well as while playing the sport and being a key force for the Los Angeles Angels.
As of 2022, it was estimated that the total of his endorsements was worth over $20 million, leading the MLB in this category. Add in the fact that his current contract is thought to be worth $8.5 million, there is no denying that he is a very wealthy man. With that deal set to expire at the end of the 2022 season, he could be in line to earn even more soon.
