Ippei Mizuhara’s New Avatar? After Pleading Guilty for Theft, Shohei Ohtani’s Former Interpreter Finds a New Career

It will never cease to fascinate baseball fans how quickly Ippei Mizuhara’s star fell. Just a few months ago, he was on top of the world. As the interpreter of Shohei Ohtani, he had his name forever etched in baseball history. Their friendship and bromance captured even the most cynical of fans’ attention. But then one fine day, it all came to naught and suddenly Mizuhara was a wanted man. And now instead of a superstar interpreter he has become a food delivery guy.

Earlier this week, Ippei Mizuhara had finally pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud. The former interpreter admitted that he stole nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani’s bank account to pay off his gambling debts. With a lengthy prison term looking like a real possibility (though a plea deal could change that) Mizuhara has decided to dorn a new outfit. This time it was an Uber Eats Delivery man.

The New York Post recently shared pictures of Ippei Mizuhara delivering Uber Eats around the Los Angeles area. Before his guilty plea, Mizuhara had been released on a $25K bond last month. So it looks like while he’s waiting for his hearing to begin, Mizuhara has decided to start working to support himself financially. 

As for Shohei Ohtani, MLB has formally cleared him of all the charges. The league called him a victim of theft. Mizuhara too said in a statement, “I worked for victim A and had access to his bank account and had fallen into major gambling debt. I went ahead and wired money…with his bank account.”

With his sentencing hearing set to begin on October 25, all eyes are on Ippei Mizuhara’s future. On the other hand, Shohei Ohtani shared his relief and gratitude with everyone who supported him.

Shohei Ohtani relieved after being free of Ippei Mizuhara controversy 

“Not that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family,” Ohtani said. “I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation.” The superstar then noted how this entire time has been a tough one for him and his family. 

“This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team,” Ohtani said. The Los Angeles Dodgers star then thanked his agent, team, and family for their support. With the two-way phenom now completely free of his Ippei Mizuhara nightmare, he decided to put his complete focus on “winning ballgames.” 

But with Mizuhara’s future still uncertain, this saga is far from over. With gambling slowly taking its hold over the sport, one wonders what the future holds for the former star interpreter.