There is no way the definition of Shohei Ohtani does not include the word ‘rare’. It’s also no secret that he is the rarest of the rare players MLB has ever seen. But guess what’s more unique? Well, it’s the two-way phenom’s alter-ego with multilingual capabilities. 

To clarify this further, the Oshu-born is hardly ever seen speaking another language apart from Japanese. But there have been a couple of times that he shocked the world with his words in good ol’ English. Then why does he need a translator? 

Bilingual Abilities of the Two-Way Phenom

Fans of the sport, and fans of the Japanese star in particular, never spare an instance where he tries to speak without a translator. A recent;y resurfaced YouTube shorts displayed the 2x unanimous MVP’s response in English upon being asked about “Shohei Ohtani’s MAX squat”. He replied saying, “200” kilograms which equates to 440lbs. As the conversation proceeded, the host asked if he knew that Hirokazu Sawamura did a maximum squat of 315kgs. And, Ohtani affirmed in English for that too. But this is not the only instance. 

A moment from the World Baseball Classic surfaced on YouTube shorts, displaying a call from the umpire. The 3x All Star seeming wasn’t pleased at the ump’s decision. As the camera panned toward Ohtani, it captured a rare sight. ‘Shotime’ mouthed the words “Oh my God! F**k!” Now that was hilarious seeing him cuss in English in Japan. The modern day Babe Ruth has a fan base in the US as intense as the one in Japan. Then why doesn’t he speak the American tongue?

As per an article from marca.com, Ohtani gave an explanation to GQ as to why he prefers speaking in Japanese while interviewing, generally. His words translated to, “If I could speak English, I would speak English. Of course, I would want to do that. Obviously, there would be no negatives that would come from that”. The unicorn further added that his ideal way of communicating with fans would be “my game on the field”. Didn’t that just sound legend-like? No doubt about that! 

Shohei Ohtani’s Yet Another ‘WOW’ Moment

This premium pitcher and hitter has given the world multiple reasons to believe that he is a legend. The latest one being his 2nd AL MVP award in 3 years that he bagged with unanimity grabbing all 420 points. Let that sink in. Not only is he awaiting a lucrative $500 million contract in this free-agency season, but also has raised the stakes for acquisition after his potential recovery from the October surgery. That said, in 2023, the 29-year-old battled against his biggest competitor. Himself. 

Read More: Unanimous MVP Shohei Ohtani’s Unusual Move Raises Eyebrows Amid Free Agency Speculation

Though the season ended prematurely for the Shotime, even his injury stained run did not affect his chances of winning the esteemed MVP title. On MLB Network’s broadcast, Thursday, he said (not in English), “I think the balance of pitching and hitting was really good. I think I was able to do that at a higher level. I wasn’t able to play until the end, and I think that might be my only regret”.

That said, it’s safe to predict : if Shohei Ohtani’s recent career was a novel, the chapter of his achievements coupled with the 2023 free agency would be the biggest cliffhanger. 

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