The baseball world continues to lumber on amidst a lockout that seems without end. However, in the meantime, fans seem to be getting their entertainment from video games. And the release of the cover for The Show 2022 has certainly helped that along. With the assuredness that the athlete is going to be Shohei Ohtani, the game has begun its promotional run to make sure optimization of sales.

And in that, it becomes necessary to see that Ohtani is doing all that he can to be the face of American baseball. And that includes speaking in English too. In what many observed was a first, Ohtani can be seen speaking in English during the commercial. A move he had not undertaken despite 3 years in the league.

Shohei Ohtani has featured in Major League Baseball for 3 seasons now, but until today a lot of his media interactions have been through his interpreter. And while some fans have criticized Ohtani’s reluctance to learn the language, others have stood beside him steadfastly. However, it seems as though that is set to change.

The newest promos for the Show 2022 feature Ohtani in style. In a set-up with puppets as the coach and other players, we see Ohtani tackle their queries. And speak in English for the first time in a long time.

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Shohei Ohtani features in promo for “The Show 2022”

Ohtani recently featured in a promo with several other muppet-style puppets featuring ‘The Coach’ asking him what he can do on the diamond. “What position do you play?”, he asks.

Ohtani, ever the humble presence, replies with an underplayed “I’m an okay pitcher,” before other members of the cast of the tv spot proceed to takeover. One of the other puppets suggests that he usually pitches to which Coach chimes in. “Don’t embarass me in front of Ohtani,” he adds.

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Ohtani is definitely more than an ‘okay’ pitcher having aggregated some mind-boggling stats over the last season. He aggregated 130 1/3 innings on the mound and boasted a 3.18 ERA with 156 strikeouts and 44 walks. Ohtani was in top form in 2021 and ranked within the top 14% in strikeout percentage.

The spot continues with pandemonium, breaking out across all the puppets. The spot closes with an exasperated Shohei Ohtani comment towards the end in Japanese again. “Why did I give Coach my number?” he asks.

Ohtani is likely going to feature highly on baseball popularity charts for the years to come and has started making an image to resonate with that level of popularity. Adding another feather to his cap, his interpreter attending fewer media engagements will certainly make him as a sports feature more relatable.

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