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\"Ohtani\" redirects here. For other people with the surname, see \u014ctani (surname).

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The native form of this personal name is \u014ctani Sh\u014dhei. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

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Shohei Ohtani

$\"Portrait$

Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024

Los Angeles Dodgers \u2013 No. 17

Pitcher / Designated hitter

Born: July 5, 1994 (age 30)
Mizusawa, Iwate, Japan

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Professional debut

NPB: March 29, 2013, for the Hokkaid\u014d Nippon-Ham Fighters

MLB: March 29, 2018, for the Los Angeles Angels

NPB statistics
(through 2017 season)

42\u201315

2.52

624

.284

297

166

MLB statistics
(through 2024 season)

Win\u2013loss record

38\u201319

Earned run average

3.01

Strikeouts

608

Batting average

.282

Hits

878

Home runs

225

Runs batted in

567

Stolen bases

145

Stats at Baseball Reference $\"Edit$

Teams

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2013\u20132017)
Los Angeles Angels (2018\u20132023)
Los Angeles Dodgers (2024\u2013present)

Career highlights and awards

NPB

5\u00d7 All-Star (2013\u20132017)
Japan Series champion (2016)
Pacific League MVP (2016)
3\u00d7 Pacific League Best Nine (2015\u20132016\u00b2)
Pacific League Battery Award (2015)^[a]
Pacific League ERA leader (2015)

MLB

4\u00d7 All-Star (2021\u20132024)
World Series champion (2024)
3\u00d7 MVP (2021, 2023, 2024)
5\u00d7 All-MLB First Team (2021\u20132024)
2\u00d7 All-MLB Second Team (2021, 2022)
AL Rookie of the Year (2018)
3\u00d7 Silver Slugger Award (2021, 2023, 2024)
2\u00d7 Hank Aaron Award (2023, 2024)
2\u00d7 Home run leader (2023, 2024)
NL RBI leader (2024)

Team Japan

World Baseball Classic MVP (2023)
2\u00d7 All-World Baseball Classic Team (2023\u00b2)
WBSC Premier12 All-World Team (2015)
WBSC Player of the Year (2015)
3\u00d7 Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize (2016, 2018, 2023^[b])

Medals

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Men's baseball\n
\n
Representing $\"\"$ Japan\n
World Baseball Classic\n
$\"Gold$	2023 Miami	Team\n
WBSC Premier12\n
$\"Bronze$	2015 Tokyo	Team\n

Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani's name in kanji

Japanese name

Kanji

\u5927\u8c37 \u7fd4\u5e73

Hiragana

\u304a\u304a\u305f\u306b \u3057\u3087\u3046\u3078\u3044

Transcriptions
Romanization	\u014ctani Sh\u014dhei

Shohei Ohtani (Japanese: \u5927\u8c37 \u7fd4\u5e73, Hepburn: \u014ctani Sh\u014dhei, pronounced [o\u02d0ta\u0272i \u0255o\u02d0he\u02d0]; born July 5, 1994) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed \"Shotime\",^[1] he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Because of his elite contributions as a hitter and as a pitcher, a rarity as a two-way player, Ohtani's prime seasons have been considered among the greatest in baseball history, with some comparing them favorably to the early career of Babe Ruth.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]\n

Considered early on as an elite two-way player, Ohtani was the first pick of the Fighters in the 2012 NPB draft. He played for the Fighters from 2013 through 2017 as a pitcher and an outfielder, and won the 2016 Japan Series with them. The Fighters posted Ohtani to MLB after the 2017 season, and he signed with the Angels, soon winning the 2018 American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award.\n

Following an injury-plagued 2019 and 2020, Ohtani hit 46 home runs and struck out 156 batters en route to winning his first AL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2021, a statistically unprecedented two-way season that saw him bestowed with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award.^[c] In 2022, he became the first player in the modern era to qualify for both the hitting and pitching leaderboards in one season, finishing third in the AL with 219 strikeouts.^[d]\n

Ohtani won his second AL MVP in 2023, leading the AL with 44 home runs while recording 10 wins as a pitcher. He was the first player to win multiple unanimous MVPs and the first Japanese-born player to win a league home run title.^[8] After the 2023 season, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, the then-largest contract in professional sports history.^[9] Unable to pitch in 2024 while recovering from a second elbow injury, Ohtani played as a DH for the Dodgers. He became the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season and was unanimously named the 2024 National League MVP.^[e] He won the 2024 World Series in his first MLB postseason appearance.\n

Internationally, Ohtani represents Japan. At the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he won the MVP Award for the tournament following Japan's victory over the United States. The 2023 final was one of the most-watched baseball games in history,^[11] culminating with Ohtani striking out Angels teammate and USA captain Mike Trout on a full count, securing a 3\u20132 win and Japan's third title.^[12]\n

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Category\n	Times\n	Seasons\n
Home runs leader\n	1\n	2023\n
On-base percentage leader\n	1\n	2023\n
Slugging percentage leader\n	1\n	2023\n
On-base plus slugging leader\n	1\n	2023\n
Total bases leader\n	1\n	2023\n
Intentional base on balls leader\n	1\n	2021\n
Triples leader\n	1\n	2021\n
At bats per home run leader\n	1\n	2021\n
Power\u2013speed number leader\n	1\n	2021\n
Wins above replacement leader\n	2\n	2021, 2023\n
Win probability added leader\n	1\n	2021\n
Strikeouts per nine innings pitched leader\n	1\n	2022\n
Notes: Per Baseball-Reference.com. Through the 2023 season.\n

Category\n	Times\n	Seasons\n
Home runs leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Extra base hits leader\n	1\n	2024\n
On-base percentage leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Slugging percentage leader\n	1\n	2024\n
On-base plus slugging leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Runs batted in leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Runs scored leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Total bases leader\n	1\n	2024\n
At bats per home run leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Power\u2013speed number leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Wins above replacement leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Win probability added leader\n	1\n	2024\n
Notes: Per Baseball-Reference.com. Through the 2024 season.\n

Achievements\n
Preceded by Jorge Polanco \n	Hitting for the cycle June 13, 2019\n	Succeeded by Jake Bauers \n
Awards\n
Preceded by Marcus Semien \n	American League Player of the Month June & July 2021\n	Succeeded by Jos\u00e9 Abreu \n
Preceded by Aaron Judge \n	American League Player of the Month June & July 2023\n	Succeeded by Julio Rodr\u00edguez \n
Preceded by Corbin Carroll \n	National League Player of the Month September 2024\n	Succeeded by Incumbent \n

v t e Los Angeles Dodgers current roster
Active roster	\n 3 Chris Taylor \n 5 Freddie Freeman \n 6 Hyeseong Kim \n 7 Blake Snell \n 13 Max Muncy \n 15 Austin Barnes \n 16 Will Smith \n 17 Shohei Ohtani \n 18 Yoshinobu Yamamoto \n 23 Michael Conforto \n 25 Tommy Edman \n 26 Tony Gonsolin \n 28 Bobby Miller \n 29 Michael Grove \n 31 Tyler Glasnow \n 33 James Outman \n 35 Gavin Stone \n 37 Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez \n 38 Kirby Yates \n 43 Anthony Banda \n 44 Andy Pages \n 45 Michael Kopech \n 48 Brusdar Graterol \n 49 Blake Treinen \n 50 Mookie Betts \n 51 Alex Vesia \n 59 Evan Phillips \n 60 Edgardo Henriquez \n 63 Kyle Hurt \n 66 Tanner Scott \n 67 Hunter Feduccia \n 70 Justin Wrobleski \n 72 Miguel Rojas \n 77 River Ryan \n 78 Ben Casparius \n 79 Nick Frasso \n 80 Emmet Sheehan \n 85 Dustin May \n 86 Jack Dreyer \n 96 Landon Knack \n
Restricted list	\n Andrew Toles \n
Coaching staff	\n Manager 30 Dave Roberts \n Bench 0 Danny Lehmann \n First base 84 Chris Woodward \n Third base 91 Dino Ebel \n Hitting -- Robert Van Scoyoc \n 98 Aaron Bates \n Pitching 99 Mark Prior \n Asst. pitching 87 Connor McGuiness \n Bullpen 54 Josh Bard \n Major league field coordinator 88 Bob Geren \n Major League Development Integration Coach -- Brandon McDaniel \n

Early life

Amateur career

Professional career

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2013\u20132017)

2013: Rookie season

2014: Second NPB All-Star selection

2015: Pacific League Pitcher Best Nine and ERA leader

2016: Japan Series champion and Pacific League MVP

2017: Final season in the NPB

Los Angeles Angels (2018\u20132023)

Initial reception by American media

2018: AL Rookie of the Year

2019: Injury-shortened season

2020: Continued injury struggles

2021: Unanimous AL MVP

2022: AL MVP finalist and dominant two-way season

2023: Second unanimous AL MVP

Los Angeles Dodgers (2024\u2013present)

2024: World Series champion, 50\u201350 club, and unanimous NL MVP

International career

2012 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup

2015 WBSC Premier12

2017 World Baseball Classic

2023 World Baseball Classic

Awards and achievements

Honours

MLB statistical achievements

Player profile

Pitching

Batting and fielding

Off the field

Personal life

Endorsements and mass media coverage

Interpreter gambling scandal

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Shohei Ohtani

Talks

Articles