“There’s a Lot to Be Nervous About”: Before Arriving in America From Japan, Shohei Ohtani Opened Up About His True Emotions

Published 09/17/2023, 9:00 AM EDT

Even Shohei Ohtani gets nervous. The Japanese wonder is an MLB juggernaut, often labeled ‘superhuman’ or ‘alien’. After all, only Babe Ruth could even remotely match his two-way prowess. And Sho-time has long left him tasting dust. Baseball fans are witnessing history being made, watching an athlete play on both sides of the ball in the major leagues. What’s more, he wonderfully excels at each. Yet, even Ohtani is only human.

The two-way sensation arrived in the States in 2017, full of hope for his debut. But before he confounded the masses by signing with the Los Angeles Angels, there was a World Baseball Classic stint that didn’t go too well. Fans were eager to see the legend of Shohei Ohtani come alive and the player was equally pumped to show what he could do. But that didn’t mean debilitating nerves never set in, hampering his performance.

Shohei Ohtani Was Overcome with Nerves Before American Debut

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Having spent the entirety of his life in Mizusawa, Shohei Ohtani was used to playing in the Iwate Prefecture. Then came Japan’s major league, where news of the two-way slugger’s prowess began to reach international ears. Four years with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters was enough to make a young Ohtani dream bigger. While he wanted to see how he would fare against world-class players, the WBC presented the perfect opportunity.

But it was also a nerve-racking task. After he arrived in the USA for the tournament, Ohtani sat down to have a chat with Jon Paul Morosi in February 2017. His translator communicated the answer when asked if he was anxious about playing in the USA.

“He will be nervous about just about everything. Because obviously, it’s a new country, new baseball. He doesn’t know how good he is, he doesn’t know how he would fare in Major League Baseball.”

“It was the same when he joined the Fighters, he didn’t know anything about professional life in Japan. He was nervous about everything. But as I said earlier, it’s a different country. That makes [him] more nervous. So there’s a lot to be nervous about.”

Of course, as fans now know, the opportunity to play baseball in the USA never came in 2017.

A Failed WBC Dream in 2017 Led to 2023 Massacre

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The world was disappointed to miss Ohtani in 2017, who had to be sidelined due to an injury. More than anything, Shotime was unhappy at having missed the opportunity to represent his country. Baseball fans had to wait a little longer to see his two-way prowess, which he unleashed on the league in 2021.

Two years later, Ohtani finally made it back to Japan for the World Baseball Classic as team captain. The country came to the finals as an undefeated champion. Facing off against Angels teammate Mike Trout at the last at-bat, Ohtani struck him out to deafening cheers from the stadium. Even Americans were rooting for Team Japan because they had just seen a baseball miracle.

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The nerves were warranted but Shohei Ohtani never let them hold him back.

WATCH THIS STORY – Shohei Ohtani Bests MLB Teammate Mike Trout as Team Japan Clinch Their Third World Baseball Classic Title in Nailbiting Clash

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Written by:

Arunima Bhanot is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. Her tryst with MLB was accidental, but what followed was nothing short of a pursuit of excellence. Arunima's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks on multiple occasions, highlighting her exceptional attention to detail and insightful coverage.

Edited by:

Deepanshi Bajaj

“There’s a Lot to Be Nervous About”: Before Arriving in America From Japan, Shohei Ohtani Opened Up About His True Emotions

Shohei Ohtani Was Overcome with Nerves Before American Debut

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