One of the biggest misses of Shohei Ohtani’s career has been his failure to challenge for the World Series. Despite historic performances and multiple MVP awards, Ohtani has never stepped foot in the postseason. While fans have blamed the Los Angeles Angels for this failure, it has nonetheless been a huge blot on Ohtani’s resume. The superstar too feels the same way, as guessed by his answer to a kid’s question.

Shohei Ohtani recently appeared in a MUFGBank Channel interview. In a unique setting, the two-way phenom wasn’t just interviewed by a reporter, but also by his young fans. Ohtani enjoys unprecedented popularity in Japan, and a huge part of it comes from children. They call him a “hero” and are inspired by him, just like he once was inspired by Ichiro Suzuki. While the interview was filled with laughs, there was one instance where Ohtani was forced to recount his experiences. 

The failure to win the World Series has always troubled Ohtani. It was part of the reason why he chose the Los Angeles Dodgers—they always participate in the playoffs. One way or another, he’d be erasing that “zero appearances in playoffs” tag from his resume soon. So, when a kid asked him about his biggest goal of 2024, Ohtani said, “My biggest goal is always to win the World Series. That is the biggest goal I have not achieved in all the years I have been chasing it. I will do my best to achieve that this year.”

To understand the tragedy of Ohtani’s league experience, one needs to see these two things: no playoffs and no winning seasons. That’s right! Not only has Ohtani never played in the playoffs, his team has never had a winning season yet. From 2018 to 2023, the Halos remained on a losing streak. 

Certainly, that’s something that still affects Ohtani. His biggest goal since his childhood has been to wear that World Series ring. Could 2024 be that year? Perhaps it could be. However, Ohtani’s interview with the kids also had a few hilarious moments.

Shohei Ohtani shares his love for baseball with his young fans

Ohtani’s presence amazed the kids. One young fan asked, “How did you learn to run so fast?” The superstar couldn’t help but smile at this question as he answered, “I am not super fast, I am like, so-so fast.” Shohei Ohtani was amused by some of the questions that the kids asked. However, it seems the superstar relishes the opportunity to inspire the young ones to work towards achieving big things in life.

Ohtani denied being a “hero”, but did share how much he idolized Ichiro Suzuki. The fact that the 2x MVP finds himself in a similar position as his idol is quite poetic. However, it also shows how unusual Ohtani is. He’s arguably the biggest baseball star in the world, but he remains ever so humble. Perhaps that’s what makes Shohei Ohtani so beloved—there’s still that young kid in him, visible with a sparkle in his eyes.