On Easter morning when Shohei Ohtani returned from his paternity leave that only lasted a couple of days, the LA Dodgers stars sat in the clubhouse, reminiscing about their returns after having a baby. The underlined theme? Dad strength. Around the Dodgers camp, gaining strength after becoming a father is not just a myth. Their manager Dave Roberts firmly believes, “Dad strength is real.” And if Mookie Betts is to be believed, “I’m sure if there is someone that is gonna have it, it’s Shohei.” 

Taking it to his Instagram on April 19, the two-way star announced the arrival of his daughter with wife Mamiko Tanaka, confessing, “To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents.” And while Roberts joked “Now that he is a father, we might see some 120[-mph] exit velos off the bat.” However, that had not been the case for the slugger.

After missing the first two games of LA’s series against the Texas Rangers, Ohtani returned but was mired in a 2-for-16 slump with six strikeouts and two walks. But if there was anyone to prove MLB’s faith on dad strength right, it had to be the 3x MVP. And so, entering Tuesday’s game against the Miami Marlins to the ‘Moonlight Densetsu’ from anime ‘Sailor Moon’ which Mamiko chose, with a wide smile on his face, Shohei came out with a purpose. And while shooting a home run, he also gained Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian’s admiration– again!

As Shohei Ohtani stepped to the plate with a new kind of energy, what happened next was sheer magic. On the very first pitch, he launched a home run. The entire Los Angeles Dodgers crowd went crazy, and it felt like it was right out of a movie. Alexis Ohanian, who is known for his love for sports, took to Instagram to share this lovely moment. Alongside the video, he added a powerful three-word praise for Ohtani, “Love this guy.”

No doubt, it must have been a relief for Shohei as well. This wasn’t just a homer; it was his first ever since becoming a father. He later powered the Dodgers to a 15-2 win, but really, that swing and the song- it was that which was the spotlight.

In the post-game interview, he told the media through interpreter Will Ireton, “It was a good home run to get back on the board for this game.I haven’t hit one since being a father, so it’s a really nice one to be able to do that… I’m just grateful for the safe delivery. I’m glad that even though I couldn’t sleep as much as I wanted to, it’s a good kind of not-getting-enough-sleep situation…

“A little change in the routine in terms of, for example today I went to the hospital and came straight to the field. Just being here at home is nice to be able to spend time, but on the road, it’s going to be a little bit of a challenge since I won’t be here.”

Well, he may be a nervous dad, but a nervous hitter—not exactly. He is back, and how! And as far as making an admirer out of Alexis, he’s got a solid one.

Alexis Ohanian always has Shohei Ohtani’s back

No doubt that Shohei Ohtani is deemed the ‘face of baseball’ with his popularity reaching from America to Japan and even worldwide now. But Ohanian still feels that Ohtani is underappreciated.

The Dodgers started this season on a roll. They were riding high with an 8-0 record, and Ohtani was the center of it all. His walk-off home run to seal their eighth straight win sent Falls bawling. The Athletic captured the post-game chaos, showing how Dodgers players were leaping and mobbing the superstar in celebration. Ohanian reposted that video but pointed out, “How is he not a bigger story in sports media?”

He didn’t stop there; he even attached a tweet from 2021, when he had said that Ohtani deserved to be the AL MVP. Well, history did prove him right. Another instance of his support came when Japan beat the US in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final. Ohtani got the win and the MVP honors, and while Ohtani might have been sad with the USA losing, he couldn’t help but say, “I’m mad USA lost, but Shohei Ohtani is so damn likable.” Well, Ohtani sure has the energy of being super likable. Doesn’t he?

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