Ohtani Shohei in Exclusive Interview: Hopes to Maintain Form Throughout the Year; Pitcher Ohtani is Stronger than Hitter Ohtani

The two-way Japanese baseball star, Ohtani Shohei, joined the Los Angeles Dodgers this year with a record-breaking contract of $700 million over ten years, making him the highest-paid athlete in the history of North American professional sports. As a hitter, Ohtani Shohei has set new career highs and even rewritten Major League Baseball (MLB) records this season. Recently, the Japanese media outlet Bungeishunjū conducted an exclusive interview with Ohtani Shohei. This young and promising star talked about his career aspirations and answered some interesting questions. Here are some excerpts.

Q: Your pitching velocity and strength have increased year by year. However, you could only be a hitter this year. Last year, you achieved a batting average of .300 and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 1.00, which are considered very difficult to achieve simultaneously. What do you think about this progress?

Ohtani: First of all, I feel good that my hitting ability is growing, and I’m more composed. My OPS this year is at most .95 or .96, it’s hard to exceed 1. Last year, I was more inclined to hit for power, and I felt great. But if I continue to try this year, I would get similar numbers to last year.

Q: So will you have different goals this year?

Ohtani: No, my goal is to give everyone the same feeling as last year. However, even so, it is difficult to replicate last year’s performance. I’ve done it once, but that doesn’t mean I can do it again this year. Last year, I maintained a good state for a long time from around June. But if you ask me whether I can show this state from the start of the season and maintain it until the end, I think that’s impossible. Moreover, the ball speed in MLB is getting faster every year, and the movement of the ball is getting bigger every year. The pressure on pitching will only increase, so I must improve to a higher level to get the same data. Hitting is based on timing and distance, followed by how you want to run. So I think facing pitchers I haven’t seen before will make a big difference for me this year.

Q: You will turn thirty this year. You previously thought that the peak period for players was between 30 and 35 years old. Have you changed your mind?

Ohtani: No, there’s no change. I believe my physical condition is quite good right now. I’m not sure how far I can develop in the future, but according to my current feeling, I can still improve, maybe extend my peak period a little longer. In the future, I won’t neglect technique while focusing on physical training. If you keep strengthening yourself during the off-season, you’ll have a good feeling. And in fact, it’s best if you can keep strengthening until you’re forty. I think you must fill all the skills you can get during this period.

Q: In the All-Star Game three years ago, there were two roles: starting pitcher Ohtani Shohei and hitter Ohtani Shohei. If pitcher Ohtani Shohei faced hitter Ohtani Shohei, who would win?

Ohtani: If I faced myself when I’m in good form, even if I’m in good form as a hitter, I don’t think my batting average would be high. When I perform well, the pitches I throw as a hitter wouldn’t be hit. When I won the Japan Series with the Fighters and finished my first year in the MLB, I think pitcher Ohtani won. Three years ago, I think it was a fifty-fifty chance, but now, I think pitcher Ohtani would win again.

Born on July 5, 1994, in Iwate Prefecture, Ohtani Shohei became the first player in NPB history to achieve double-digit wins and home runs in his second year in the league. In 2017, Ohtani Shohei agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Angels and moved to the MLB, winning Rookie of the Year in his first year. In 2022, Ohtani Shohei became the second player since Babe Ruth in 1918 to achieve double-digit wins and home runs in a single season. The following year, Ohtani Shohei helped the Japanese national baseball team win the World Baseball Classic championship and was named the tournament MVP.