In Japan, the most popular sport is beisbol. The NPB — Nippon Professional Baseball — is the most important tournament of Japanese baseball and attracts the attention of fans, supporters, and journalists from all over the country. With a strong tradition, Japanese baseball produces high-performance athletes and great talents always emerge. The most iconic case is that of Shohei Ohtani (Ohtani Shouhei - 大谷翔平), player of the Los Angeles Angels, a team that competes in MLB (Major League Baseball, the main league in the United States). In this article, we will learn a little more about this genius of world baseball.
Read also: Baseball - Understanding Japan's Most Popular Sport
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Who is Shohei Ohtani?
If we are to summarize, Shohei Ohtani is simply the best baseball player in Japan and perhaps even the best player in the world today, despite playing for a team considered second-tier in terms of titles.
Elected MVP again in 2023 unanimously, simply winning all available votes in the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards, ahead of Corey Seager (World Series champion with the Texas Rangers), Ohtani had already been elected in another oportunit (2021 ). The athlete has stood out in recent years both as a pitcher and as a hitter (DH - Designated Hitter).
Currently 29 years old, he has been speculated on by several teams, such as the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Giants, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, to reinforce them in 2024.
With an incredible 1 meter and 93 centimeters tall, above average for the population of his country, the star has a large number of admirers in Japan and the USA. Even individuals who don't follow baseball know Shohei Ohtani because of his skill and media exposure, both inside and outside the land of the rising sun.
Shohei throws with his right hand and hits with his left, having a large number of Strike Outs (755) and Home Runs (177) in his career. Furthermore, the player has already scored 428 runs and won the 2016 Japan Series. He is currently considered one of the best players in the world.
The star was injured in August this year and had to stop pitching. The injury occurred in the right elbow, more specifically in the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) region. As a result, there are many doubts as to whether his performance as a pitcher will remain the same as always.
Other Japanese baseball legends - Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and Sadaharu Oh
Japan has had other great athletes in baseball. The most renowned name in the West may have been Ichiro Suzuki, nicknamed "laser beam" due to his precision and speed in pitching. He played almost his entire career with the Seattle Mariners, from 2001 to 2012 and from 2018 to 2019, when he retired from the sport. He also played for the Yankees and the Miami Marlins.
Another name that cannot be forgotten is that of Hideki Matsui, idol of the New York Yankees, champion of the 2009 World Series and owner of 760 runs batted in (RBI). Nicknamed "Godzilla", he played as an outfielder and as a designated hitter.
Lastly, but not least, we have Sadaharu Oh, credited as the record holder for Home Runs (considering the Japanese league, given that Barry Bonds is the record holder in MLB), with an incredible 868 in his career. He played for the Yomiuri Giants his entire life.
Very soon we will do an Post explaining and discussing all the main NPB teams, including Yomiuri himself.
Where to learn about Baseball?
There are several channels on YouTube that teach the rules of baseball. Most are in English, it's true. However, there are also excellent channels in Portuguese, such as The Playoffs and Beisebol Americano.
On Instagram, I recommend that you follow some pages, such as: @reidasrebatidas and @mlb.brasil. Over time, the rules and dynamics of esporte become more easily assimilated. It's a fascinating sport that is very popular in the USA, South Korea and Japan.
