A lookback at Shohei Ohtani's inclusion in TIME's list of 100 most influential people in 2021
Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels' designated hitter and star pitcher, is one of a kind. His two-way prowess hasn't been witnessed in the MLB since the time of the original "Bambino" himself, Babe Ruth. A powerful hitter with a bat and a versatile pitcher, the Japanese player has become the true definition of an all-rounder in the world of baseball.
The Los Angeles Angels brought in Shohei Ohtani from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Nippon Professional League. In his five years in his home country's baseball league, he had notched up five All-Star appearances and a stellar 2016 season where he won the Japan Series and the MVP.
In his first season in LA, he won the AL Rookie of the Year award. After a few injury scares in the following years, the 28-year-old followed it up with a near-perfect 2021 season that can be regarded as one of the best individual performances in MLB history.
Ohtani's 2021 included .257/.372/.592, with 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, 103 runs, and 26 steals in 155 games and 639 plate appearances. He completed the year with 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts. He became the first player to be included in both All-MLB teams, one for his role as Designated Hitter and one for his role as Starting Pitcher. At one point in time, he became the first player since Babe Ruth in 1921 to lead the league in Home Runs while on the mound.
He was awarded plenty of individual accolades on and off the field. The most notable of those achievements was the American League MVP. He was also named as one of the inductees in Time's 100 Most Influential People. Ohtani was placed in the Icons section alongside Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and fellow Japanese star Naomi Osaka. The list also included other sports stars like Simone Biles, Tom Brady, etc.
Shohei Ohtani's profile was written by Alex Rodriguez
To add to the honor of being on the list, Shohei Ohtani's profile was written by 14-time MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez. He beautifully penned down a note to TIME describing Ohtani's selection.
"He’s the modern-day Bambino—and yet even Babe Ruth wasn’t stealing 20-plus bases, hitting 40-plus homers and throwing 100 m.p.h. in the same season. Only Shohei can. If you were to Frankenstein every unique talent into one player, you’d get Shohei Ohtani." -Alex Rodriguez on Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani also had a fantastic 2022 season, completing .273 with a 35.6% on-base rate, 34 homeruns, and 95 RBIs and earning a 10.8% walk rate and a 24.2% strikeout rate this season.