“Made Transition a Lot Easier”: Shohei Ohtani Thanks American Fans for Cheering Him On as a Two-Way MLB Player

Looking back at the concluded 2021 MLB season, the one sensational player who stood out exceptionally was Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese star is a rare two-way player and has deservingly clinched his American League MVP crown.

Interestingly, Ohtani was given the honor unanimously. Despite his team failing to reach the post-season, Ohtani has marked his place on the top.

Ohtani delighted by his MVP glory

The sorrow and sadness of missing out on the post-season must have reduced, as Ohtani clinched the AL MVP award, proving he is worthy of being on the top. However, as smooth as Ohtani’s 2021 ride looked, he has suffered a lot of setbacks and criticism, reaching this point in his career.

In his post-victory interview, Ohtani revealed the MVP award was always on his mind. However, more than the award, he is more thankful to the American audience and authorities for accepting him as a two-way player.

Ohtani said, ” MVP was something I was shooting for, obviously. I think any player is as long as they are playing baseball professionally. But I was more appreciative of the fact that the American fans, the just the whole the USA baseball was more accepting and welcoming to the whole two-way idea, compared to when I started in Japan, so it made the transition a lot easier for me so I’m very thankful for that.”

In the last four years of his career, Ohtani has been patient and determined, despite the hurdles in his way.

Shohei Ohtani overcame past setbacks to become the unbeatable

Back in 2018, the Japanese player joined American baseball, starting a new career with the Los Angeles Angels. While he always had the talent of a rare two-way player, Ohtani suffered injury issues in his initial years.

In 2018, June, he suffered a sprain on his ulnar collateral ligament. In September, the doctor advised him of a Tommy John surgery, forcing him to spend most of the next 15 months in rehab.

Although he was playing on the offense, Ohtani couldn’t showcase his pitching skills because of the elbow injury. Everyone thought he would now limit himself to a hitter, but clearly, he was not done yet. In the 2021 season, Ohtani became the first-ever baseball player to clinch 30+ home runs and 30+ strikeouts in the same season.

The 27-year-old’s journey is incredibly inspiring, as he just kept going, regardless of what life threw at him. Hopefully, in the 2022 season, the star, popularly known as ‘Shotime’, will finally get a taste of the post-season.

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