Explainer | Shohei Ohtani: family, net worth, height, record-breaking MLB All-Star stats, and Babe Ruth comparisons
- The first ever to be called up as both an All-Star pitcher and hitter, Ohtani had long set out to be a two-way master
- From a ‘very ordinary’ farm-town upbringing, to blasting through the Tokyo Dome roof, to making history for the Angels
Japanese baseball unicorn Shohei Ohtani’s outrageous Major League Baseball (MLB) season with the Los Angeles Angels is drawing increasing comparisons to the legendary Babe Ruth.
The 27-year-old entered majors history as the first MLB All-Star to be selected as both a pitcher and hitter as he continues to terrorise opposition with his monstrous right throws and physics-defying left-handed batting.
Ohtani – known as ‘Shotime’ to fans, the most devoted of whom call themselves ‘Shobaes’ – had already been touted as a once-in-a-generation player in his Japan college days but struggled with injuries since being posted to the US in 2018. He now leads league home runs with 33, while also pitching to a 3.49 earned run average (ERA).
Here’s what you need to know about the 6ft 4in (1.93m), overly polite yet brutally analytical superstar who is breaking records with each game.
Biography
Shohei Ohtani was born on July 5, 1994, in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, with a “very ordinary” upbringing, according to his father. Idolising former Japanese MLB star Ichiro Suzuki, Ohtani made a name at the Hanamaki Higashi High School. By 17, he had broken the national high school pitch speed record – 160km/h – and became a scout and fan favourite.