Shohei Ohtani Relishes Upcoming Clash With Childhood Idol, Seoul Series Heats Up as Two-Way Phenom Gets Serious

The most surreal moment in an athlete’s life is when they’re standing against their childhood idol. The player they looked up to, the player that inspired them to be what they are today. Though Shohei Ohtani has transcended this stage and is perhaps the idol of millions around the world, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is about to experience something he has never done before. Something that has made the entire baseball world lick their lips in anticipation. 

The Seoul Series is just a few days away. With the first game scheduled for March 20, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres have made their way to South Korea. After breaking the internet by revealing his wife, Ohtani’s entry into Korea has rocked the nation yet again. With fans going crazy over him – Ohtani revealed how he’s looking forward to hitting against Yu Darvish, the legendary Japanese pitcher.

Shohei Ohtani vs Yu Darvish – a never seen before contest

Ever since Ohtani joined the LA Dodgers, there was one thing that nearly every fan looked forward to – his contest against Yu Darvish. Until now the two had remained separated due to playing in different leagues. Now with Darvish set to start game 1 of the Seoul Series, finally fans are about to witness the Japanese icons’ clash. Ohtani made a reference to this in his recent press conference. 

“Darvis is someone I always looked up to as a young kind. Someone I really respect as a pitcher and I try to form my game around him…I had a chance to play with in the WBC, had a chance to work out with him in the past offseasons, he is a good friend of mine,” Ohtani said.

Later the superstar shared how excited he felt that he was finally getting a chance to hit against Darvish. “So, I haven’t faced him up to this point, so I am really excited to face (him) finally,” Ohtani expressed. The two have crossed paths many times but never in different uniforms. They used to play in the same NPB team – the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. However, Darvish had already left for the States before Ohtani’s time.

While Shotime has just shown his excitement, Darvish had already done the same last month. After Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s arrival, he declared that the rivalry between the Padres and Dodgers was about to amplify.

Rivalry intensifies between the Padres and the Dodgers 

According to Kyodo News, Darvish had shown his excitement in February. Sharing how things were becoming more exciting, Darvish declared “We want to outperform them as much as possible.” Later the Padres ace expressed how he had never faced Ohtani before but was looking forward to doing it this year. 

“There will be fewer holes in their lineup. I look forward to pitching against the Dodgers,” said Darvish. So it’s obvious the two compatriots are relishing this opportunity to go toe-to-toe against each other. Their clash is sure to make this historic Seoul Series an even bigger spectacle. In idol vs idol, which side are you on?

Read more: Freddie Freeman Encourages Shohei Ohtani’s Speedy On-Base Habit, Gels With Two-Way Star Amidst Spring Training

Until then, the Spring Training is still going strong. Witness all of the Ballpark action on ES Fancast – Home to MLB Spring Breakout LIVE!