"Convinced Shohei Ohtani knows more English than he lets on" - Fans react hilariously to Dodgers star celebrating World Series 2024 berth
Shohei Ohtani is without question one of the most popular baseball players in the world. The two-way superstar has continued to leave both fans and experts in awe of his abilities on the field.
Thanks to yet another dominant season, it looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar will add another MVP Award to his ever-growing trophy case.
Despite his global icon status, Shohei Ohtani has done a relatively decent job at keeping his personal life as private as possible. One of the potential reasons why he has been able to keep some mystery around him is the fact that English is not his first language.
That being said, there is a growing sense that Ohtani speaks English better than some believe. Despite the continued use of a translator, a video of Ohtani celebrating the Los Angeles Dodgers' clinching of a World Series berth has made the rounds on social media.
"lol I am convinced this dude knows more English than he lets on," One fan posted online.
"Yup, he speaks english when he's celebrating!" Another shared.
"Wow he speaks English…. Hum I thought his interpreter handled that!!!!" One more posted.
In the video, while Ohtani's interpreter can be seen talking to the media, the Dodgers star shouts out, "Hey, you're sober," to one of his teammates outside of the frame. This led some fans to speculate about his efficiency in English.
"Always find it funny when he uses his interpreter for post game interviews. When we all know he can speak English," Another fan said on social media.
"This side of Ohtani was known to the Angels... but they thought they should have kept that under wraps. Angels had no idea how to let their players be them," One more posted.
It's clear that Shohei Ohtani has continued to work on his English, however, some fans believe that he is way more advanced than he shows to the media or in interviews. It remains to be seen how much longer he may need an interpreter if his English level continues to improve.
Shohei Ohtani's English level was once criticized by Stephen A. Smith
In a now infamous blunder, Stephen A. Smith once said that Ohtani could never be the face of the MLB because he did not speak English. The sportscaster faced an immediate backlash from fans and fellow media members for his take, with beloved MLB journalist Jeff Passan firing back at Smith.
Passan told Stephen A. Smith about the amount of obstacles that Ohtani had to overcome on his journey to becoming an MLB superstar. Now a few years later, Smith's take has been proven wrong as the Japanese star has become an icon across the sporting universe.