After Shohei Ohtani, Will Ippei Mizuhara Also Translate for Dodgers’ Latest $325 Million Addition?

After a month-long saga filled with twists and turns, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has finally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to a huge 12-year, $325 million contract. Although that may have been the end of one story, it’s also the beginning of another. Now starts Yamamoto’s journey to adjust to a whole new environment. The biggest question – who will be his translator? Will it be the same as the one for Shohei Ohtani?

Fans are wondering if, with his compatriot already present in the Blue Crew, could Yamamoto take the services of Ohtani’s translator, Ippei Mizuhara.  

Will Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have another common baseball aspect?

One of the biggest requirements for Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a translator. The Samurai Japan ace will have to work a lot to adjust to a new life in the States. As a result, he would need someone to accompany him wherever he goes. With Ippei Mizuhara already doing that work for Shohei Ohtani, will he be able to do the same for Yamamoto as well?

Yamamoto and Ohtani already have one thing in common – they’re two of the biggest talents to emerge from the Land of the Rising Sun, creating a free agency frenzy in MLB. A common interpreter might just be the cherry on top. Mizuhara’s relationship with Ohtani makes him a cult figure. Though he’s officially a personal interpreter, he does much more than translate. Mizuhara accompanies Ohtani 24/7, 365 days of the year. He’s a training partner and a friend of Ohtani. So it’s obvious that when Ohtani came to the Dodgers, he brought Ippei Mizuhara with him.

Perhaps this heavy workload is why it seems unfeasible for Mizuhara to act as Yamamoto’s full-time translator. Will he have any time left after his Ohtani duties? That’s a major worry. At the same time, Yamamoto has always had a translator with him during his free agency team talks. Though the name of his translator hasn’t been revealed, what if Yamamoto’s comfort lies there?

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At the same time, teams normally do not appoint more than one translator to their team, especially for a single language. But as of this moment, it looks like Mizuhara’s Ohtani duties might be an obstacle for him to act as a full-time translator for another player. That doesn’t mean things cannot be worked out in different terms.

But in the end, it looks like a full-time gig as Yamamoto’s personal interpreter might not be possible for the fan-favorite Ippei Mizuhara.

Read more: Everything to Know About the Most Important Name in Baseball, Shohei Ohtani’s Translator