You know how sometimes you spot a celebrity from your hometown on a random billboard and go, “Oh hey, I know that guy”? Now, imagine that happening every five seconds. That was the reality of walking around Japan during the series opener. Shohei Ohtani was everywhere, from whipping up spaghetti on TV and juggling a soccer ball to modeling for watches and, of course, launching hits out of the park. Recently, the buzz around Ohtani has reached new heights. And one of his former World Baseball Classic teammates didn’t hold back, drawing a wild comparison with the legendary Michael Jordan.

One thing is for sure: Ohtani is a full-blown cultural icon. On the field, he is rewriting the rules; he is the player who got into the exclusive 50-50 club. He is an MVP, a $700 million sports legend in the making. Off the field, he is on the vending machines and even tea bottles, believe it or not. Tokyo Dome had 10,000 people show up just to watch him practice—yes, not even the real game.

And it’s not just that he is famous in Japan, he is as famous in America, too. Remember the bobblehead giveaways? It was a midweek game, nothing fancy, but fans lined up before sunrise. Those bobbleheads were later sold online for double and triple the price. Ohtani is so famous that his dog, Decoy, gets as much spotlight and even gifts from famous artists. So this is more than just fandom, and his WBC teammate, Lars Nootbaar, who has seen Ohtani up close, still finds it wild.

“Like that MJ documentary that came out during COVID, where he’s just sitting there in his room smoking a cigar saying, “I can’t leave.” That’s really him. That’s literally Shohei… But yeah—in Japan, it’s like he cannot move. It’s crazy,” said Nootbar. But it’s not a far-fetched comparison for sure. And if you ask this to Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, he would agree. Before the trip to Japan, Ohtani himself gave Roberts a heads-up with a text, “Get ready.” And he was not kidding. It’s one thing to see the hype online, but walking through Japan and watching the $700 million Dodger hitter every turn is another level.

Lootbaar even talked about the big WBC moment for not just Ohtani. The Trout vs. Ohtani final was unreal for fans to watch the trailblazers of the sport face-to-face. “I think we both gained a lot from that,” Nootbaar said. And it does show. Now, not just Nootbaar, even other teammates have drawn comparisons. Like Clayton Kershaw, compare Ohtani to the buzz of Beatlemania. Tyler Glasnow said, “Justin Bieber times ten.” And Anthony Banda definitely said, “Think about how Michael Jordan was in the U.S.? It’s the same.” 

However, it is commendable that even through the madness, Ohtani handles it like a pro, always humble and focused, smiling through all the chaos. He just shows up and does his thing. Have you ever wondered how he remains so calm, though?

The secret behind Shohei Ohtani’s calm amid the chaos

When someone is as famous as Ohtani, it’s easy to get bamboozled. But there has been a quiet grounding behind the scenes, which Ohtani’s dad spilled the beans about. Ohtani’s father gave all the credit to Mamiko Tanaka, Ohtani’s wife. Speaking to Japanese reporters, Toru Ohtani said, “Shohei has reached a major milestone by marrying Mamiko, and I have the impression that he is playing baseball more calmly… Without Mamiko-san, you wouldn’t be the Shohei Ohtani you are today.” And it shows. And as far as Ohtani goes, he is a real softie!

Like after Ohtani clinched his AL MVP last season, he didn’t talk about any self-praise. Ohtani turned to the person who had kept him steady all through it. “Thank you to my beautiful wife, [Mamiko Tanaka]. Thank you for always being there for me,” he said. And Tanaka is extremely private, but she has been there through thick and thin for Ohtani, always cheering him on. And now, both of them have a new little MVP in the mix.

In April of this year, the couple welcomed their first child—a baby girl. And while the private couple has concealed the name of their baby, Dodgers jumped the gun by gifting her the most Ohtani-appropriate gift ever—a toy Porsche! It was Roberts’ idea, and it comes from the place of a running joke in the clubhouse. “We had a little practical-joke situation going on, but this was a gift for the baby,” Roberts explained. Well, it goes back to the time when, in 2024, Ohtani had broken Robert’s record for most home runs by a Japanese player in Dodgers history, and Robert said the Japanese icon owed him a real Porsche.

Ohtani delivered a Porsche—but a purple toy car for his office. That’s how it started! Seems like humor definitely runs in the Dodger clubhouse. Don’t you think?