Shohei Ohtani’s achievements this season are no secret – from breaking records of baseball greats to creating new records by slashing open the 50-50 club – but his private life pretty much is. The Japanese star has done a great job in keeping his private life secluded; his image has always been 100% baseball-focused – a major reason for him being able to achieve that is because his first language isn’t English, which caused some backlash too.

Famously, Stephen A. Smith had made huge waves when he talked about Ohtani’s language barrier. According to him, given Shohei Ohtani is not fluent in English, he could never become the face of MLB. In hindsight, though, how poorly has Smith’s statement aged? Ohtani, in a record time, has quite literally changed the landscape of the very sport Smith was saying he couldn’t break into. English was no barrier for Ohtani, but recently, a video has surfaced that provides a new twist to this story.

How far has Shohei Ohtani come with his English-speaking skills?

When Smith had dragged Ohtani’s language as a barrier for the sport, Jeff Passan had come to Ohtani’s rescue. As a reputed voice in the industry, he reminded everyone how difficult it was for Ohtani to break into the toughest sports leagues of the world. All without knowing the language; but it seems like Ohtani knows more than he is letting on the world.

A recent video clip of Shohei Ohtani celebrating, a little drunk, not so much ‘Ohtani-like’, has gone viral. In the clip, while his interpreter was addressing the media, Ohtani joked in the background with his teammate. “Hey, you’re sober,” said the Japanese star. Well, he sure seems to be taking some lessons in English on the side, but whether the LA Dodger star knows the language fluently now or not, it sure has been a long journey for him.

Recently after their win, even Alex Rodriguez came out to talk about how difficult it must have been for Ohtani to make it so far without knowing the language. It was, according to A-Rod, a journey that the Japanese star had to take himself. But the viral video has everyone asking: Does Ohtani know better English than he lets on?

Fans think Ohtani knows English!

One user in the comments was convinced that Ohtani was keeping his English skills under wraps. Canelo, for example, does plenty of interviews in English now and is fluent, but for a long time, he always had a translator with him. Who knows, one day Ohtani could get that better, but for now, he always has his translator with him

Another fan pointed out how Shohei Ohtani must be speaking in Japanese, so it doesn’t require translation in Japan. And well, it might be that Ohtani wants his language in the forefront because his fans back home are watching. He is one of the biggest stars in the sport, plus, there seem to have been instances where Japanese and English don’t translate easily, making misquotes a common issue. 

A smart Ohtani fan tried to reason the fact that language has many fluency levels. And it’s true that informal conversations with friends and colleagues have a stark difference from speaking in public interviews; the latter has questions broadcasted to the world, and needs more precise, accurate answers – the internet can be quite a scary place!

Some commenters, being concerned about Shohei Ohtani’s well-being, highlighted his value. Well, Ohtani, in this instance, was letting loose for what felt like the first time. He recently came out to say how he had to shoulder plenty of responsibility in Angels. And at LA Dodgers, it’s a stark difference, as everyone has his back, so, fans can be assured that Ohtani is well protected. 

Another user noted how winning makes players happy, and that’s what gave out the reaction that Ohtani gave. This is his first time in the World Series, with his new team. He was expected to perform; he did and is on the last leg of the season. Plus, Ohtani never achieved what he did in the Dodgers back in Anaheim, making this win even sweeter!

The Dodgers vs Yankee is a dream series, as Derek Jeter has now famously claimed, and we understand why! Two biggest, richest, and legacy-rich franchises together – so, who are you supporting? Let us know in the comments.