"Most of the teams valued me as a pitcher" - LA Angels golden boy Shohei Ohtani believes he would have been only a pitcher had he opted for US high schools
Long before he started setting the MLB on fire, not many would have given Shohei Ohtani a chance as both a hitter and a pitcher. Baseball tends to lump players into specific categories, and it can be difficult to shed that label. As the LA Angels phenom expressed, he doesn't believe he would have been able to. Nobody could have expected that the Japanese-born player would be the second coming of Babe Ruth, let alone so early in his career.
A pitcher who can hit homers at such an insane rate has not been seen since New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth over 100 years ago. Had the new face of baseball been forced into a mould that does not suit him, he could be a very different player today. Allowing himself to grow as a player and train in Japan, he kept his options open to the benefit of all.
In an interview with "TIME" magazine, the American League MVP opened up about how different his life could be if he had chosen to come to the United States as a teenager.
“I would have probably been a pitcher, because most of the teams valued me as a pitcher.” - Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani is also the cover star of "TIME" magazine for the month of April, the first baseball player to appear on the cover in 17 years, as they shared on Twitter.
TIME's new cover: Shohei Ohtani is what baseball needs ti.me/3uZK7OK https://t.co/pa5qNMtEP7
"TIME's new cover: Shohei Ohtani is what baseball needs" -@TIME
It's nice to see the sport in a positive spotlight again.
Shohei Ohtani is the face of Baseball worldwide
Nothing captures a sports fan's heart more than an underdog story. Shohei Ohtani's entrance into the MLB as an international player certainly made him an underdog. Ohtani found a staggering amount of success almost immediately. In 2018, he hit an impressive 46 homers and won his first MVP award. He also earned Rookie of the Year.
The LA Angels starting pitcher was a highly-touted signing, having been recruited heavily by numerous teams, including the Seattle Mariners and LA Dodgers. Had the LA Angels slugger come to North America earlier, he would have likely been coached to worry about his hitting less and pitching more. His understanding of that is what allowed him to flourish and grow into one of the league’s best.
The reigning MVP picked up right where he left off in 2021 with an amazing Spring Training, as posted by the LA Angels on Twitter.
Sho up & Sho out
#LAASpring https://t.co/4nr2ENDDqo
"Sho up & Sho out" - @ Los Angeles Angels
The face of baseball will be making the first Opening Day start of his young career, and will be the designated hitter throughout the game. Shohei Ohtani has never had more eyes on him, as every time he steps up to the plate or onto the pitching mound, he is must-see TV.