5 Things You Might Not Know About MLB Superstar Shohei Ohtani

One of the most fascinating stories of Major League Baseball in 2021 is that of Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese-born phenom who is dominating the majors as both a hitter and pitcher.

Here are five interesting facts about Ohtani, commonly known as "Showtime" to Angels and MLB fans worldwide.

1. Dual Threat: Ohtani will become the first player to pitch and hit in an MLB All-Star Game with his appearance on Fox Corp FOX Tuesday night. He will be the starting pitcher for the American League and also bat leadoff as the designated hitter.

Ohtani has a 4-1 record pitching with an ERA of 3.49 and WHIP of 1.21. He has 87 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched in 13 games. Ohtani leads the American League in home runs (33), triples (4) and slugging percentage (.698).

As a high-ranking high school player, Ohtani was highly sought after by Japanese baseball teams. Ohtani told teams not to sign him if he couldn’t both pitch and hit.

In 2016, Ohtani posted one of his best seasons with the Nippon-Ham Fighters with a 10-4 record, 1.86 ERA, 175 strikeouts in 140 innings along with 22 home runs, 67 RBIs and a 1.004 OPS.

Earlier this season, Ohtani became the first player to lead the league in home runs and also pitch in a game since Babe Ruth in 1921.

"He's a legendary figure and it's a huge honor to be compared to somebody like that. All I can do is try my best and see how my season and career pans out," Ohtani said of Ruth.

Related Link: Double Your Money If Shohei Ohtani Wins The American League MVP

2. Coming to America: The Los Angeles Angels emerged victorious in a hard-fought sweepstakes to get Ohtani on an MLB roster. He felt a strong connection to the team, according to his agent at the time.

Other finalists for Ohtani included the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants. Several of the top Asian players in baseball have chosen west coast teams due to the proximity to home.

3. Endorsements Coming: Ohtani had a reported $10 million in annual endorsements in 2020. Endorsement agreements include Japan Airlines, Mitsubishi Financial Group, Seiko Watch Crop and Asics athletic shoes and apparel.

Other brand ambassador deals for Ohtani with limited international rights include Tokyo Nishikawa (air mattresses), Savas Protein Powder, Aquarius Sports Drinks, Descente (sports apparel) and Oakley Sunglasses

The endorsements are in the $1 million to $2 million range each, according to Sportico.

One brand loved by Ohtani that doesn't endorse him is Tesla Inc TSLA. He got his U.S. driver's license and now owns a Tesla Model X, which caught the attention recently of company CEO Elon Musk.

4. Bargain Player: Ohtani played on a $700,000 salary for the 2020 season. That figure was prorated to $259,259 due to the COVID-19 shortened season.

Ohtani struggled in 2019 after completing Tommy John surgery. He had seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 175 at-bats as the team’s designated hitter.

Ohtani signed a two-year, $8.5-million contract with the Angels in February, paying him $3 million for 2021 and $5.5 million for 2022.

At Ohtani’s current rate of success, the Angels may want to lock up him on a long-term deal or suffer the chance of losing out to a higher bidder after 2022.

5. Predicting the Future: Ohtani is 27 years old but may have predicted the majority of his life in high school. He predicted he would win the World Series at the age of 26, a feat he missed out but perhaps he was off by only a couple of years. After winning the World Series, Ohtani predicts he will find a wife and have three kids, two sons and a daughter.

At the age of 41, Ohtani would move back to Japan according to his future goals outlined in high school. That could mean we have many more years of Ohtani playing Major League Baseball.

Photo credit: hj_west, Flickr