Shohei Ohtani has turned heads with his staggering performance this season. He has done things most thought were not possible in baseball and etched his name in history. Joining the 40-40 club is what most think is doable, but the 50-50 club, not so much – the Japanese star made this possible. But while Sho is the face of the Dodgers right now, it wasn’t how his journey with the LA Dodgers started. Because of the $700m deal, the highest-paid contract he signed, many questioned whether he was well worth it. The biggest question mark? Ohtani’s language barrier!

Famously, Stephen A. Smith made headlines when he mentioned that Ohtani’s non-fluency in English was the reason he couldn’t become the face of Major League Baseball. In hindsight, this statement has aged poorly because of how far Ohtani has come. Plus, not knowing the language fluently and leading this far has earned the Japanese star lauds from stars like Alex Rodriguez. But recently, rumors started that Ohtani can speak English, and it seems that along with his hits, Sho has worked on his English too!

Shohei Ohtani hits a Grand Slam in perfect English

Just after the Dodgers had made it to the World Series, a video went viral. It featured the Japanese star celebrating with his team with champagne. In the video, as his interpreter was talking to the media, Ohtani was seen telling one of his mates, “Hey, you’re sober,” urging them to celebrate grandly too. Well, a drunk Ohtani is a first, but secondly—he spoke English! People thought he knew more of the language, then he let on, and well, fans are right!’

The LA team, after the championship, finally made it to their stadium. And making the moment even more special was their superstar, Shohei Ohtani. He took the mic and delivered the speech to the blue crews—in English! Yes, the Japanese star spoke flawless English, and word by word, everyone understood every word and sentiment about it. “This is a special moment for me. I am so honored to be here and to be part of this team. Congratulations, Los Angeles. Thank you, fans,” Ohtani mentioned. Well, Dodgers World Series 2020 win celebrations were due too in home ground, and so this was the perfect add-on for fans.

Other notable moments from the victory parade 

For Shohei Ohtani, Friday was all about celebrations; after all, it was his first World Series win. It was the moment he had jotted down his now famous high school to-do list. And of course, he celebrated the win proudly with his team at the stadium. The LA Dodgers star shared a picture on Instagram of the celebratory event, where his wife beside him was holding Decoy and he was holding the trophy. And Decoy was even on the team’s bus, overlooking the crowd as Ohtani waved to fans on the crowded streets.

Sure, it was a big day, as it was the LA Dodgers’ eighth World Series win. But even so, Ohtani has a boundary when it comes to celebrations. When SportsNet LA’s David Vassegh asked Sho if he would like to pull a Kike Hernandez and go shirtless in a spirit of victory, Ohtani declined. “No, never,” said the Japanese star, shutting down the idea with his signature smile. Another standout moment was when he posed for a picture alongside the legend Magic Johnson, who is also a minority Dodgers owner.

Right now, Ohtani is on a well-deserved off-season break, but fans are counting on him to return guns-blazing next season—even in pitching. Do you think he will be back to pitching next year? Let us know below.