‘I Was Really Surprised’- Long Before Shohei Ohtani’s Meteoric Rise as a Two-Way Player in MLB, Former Japanese Manager Foresaw His Greatness

There have been several great players in Major League Baseball. Be it the hitters or the pitchers, MLB has witnessed countless exceptional ballplayers over the last hundred years. But when it comes down to a two-way player, there has been no one like the LA Angels star Shohei Ohtani.

It has not been even five years since Ohtani debuted in MLB, and the Japanese star has already owned the baseball league. However, Ohtani’s rise in MLB is not a sudden phenomenon. Way before playing in MLB, Ohtani was already a superstar in the Japanese baseball league.

Shohei Ohtani’s former manager knew what lay ahead in his future

Recently, Ben Verlander of Fox Sports conducted an exclusive interview with Shohei Ohtani and his former manager Hideki Kuriyama. While talking to Fox Sports, Kuriyama, who managed Ohtani in Nippon Professional Baseball, opened up about Ohtani’s younger days.

Kuriyama said when he first saw Ohtani pitching from the mound in his high school, he left surprised. Kuriyama also compared Ohtani with legendary Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish.

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“The first time I saw Shohei Ohtani pitch was when he was a sophomore in senior high, just before the summer. And by chance, I was at a game. And Shohei Ohtani happened to be the opposing pitcher,” said Kuriyama.

“When I first saw him pitch from behind the home plate, well, Yu Darvish was the best pitcher in Japan at the time. I could already see Ohtani’s pitches coming with the arc and speed of Darvish’s pitches. I was really surprised.”

Shohei Ohtani credited his former manager for making him a two-way player

Shohei Ohtani has probably been the best two–way player in baseball. No doubt about that. But to achieve this feat, the Angels’ star also got proper guidance from his former manager, Hideki Kuriyama. The reigning AL MVP credited Kuriyama for making him a two-way player.

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“If it wasn’t for Mr. Kuriyama, I probably wouldn’t have become a two-way player. And as a professional, it would have been even more difficult to steadily improve myself. So, I am really grateful to him,” Ohtani said to Verlander.

Do you think Ohtani is the best baseball player in the game right now?