Shohei Ohtani

At 29 years old, Shohei Ohtani has this physical status:

Amateur career

Ohtani may have played baseball for any powerhouse high school team in major cities such as Osaka or Yokohama as a youth. Instead, he opted to stay local, selecting Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, Northern Japan, which is the same high school as pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, whom he admired; Ohtani competed as a swimmer and played baseball. Hiroshi Sasaki, Ohtani's high school baseball coach, said he was a fast swimmer who "may have made the Olympics."

Hanamaki Higashi's players lived on campus, returning home for just six days per year under Sasaki's direction. To teach the youth pitcher humility, Sasaki would assign toilet cleaning duties to Ohtani. As an 18-year-old high school pitcher, Ohtani threw a 160 mph (99 mph) fastball. In the national high school baseball championship tournament in Japan, he threw the pitch, also known as Summer Koshien. Ohtani had a 0-1 win-loss record, eight walks, five runs, and a 4.35 earned run average in 10+13 innings pitched in the 2012-18U Baseball World Championships.

Professional career

After high school, Ohtani expressed an eagerness to play directly in the major leagues and attracted the attention of several clubs, including the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He revealed on October 21, 2012 that he would rather play in Major League Baseball than turn professional in Japan rather than turn professional in Japan. Despite the fact that he would not play for them, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters decided to draft him anyway. Ohtani revealed that after an exclusive negotiation window with him and the Fighters, he will sign with the Fighters and spend some years in Japan before moving to Japan. It would allow Ohtani to play both as a pitcher and position player, according to Hokkaido; the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had risen to Ohtani's top-choice MLB team, were unwilling to let him play both directions. He was given the jersey number 11, which had previously been used by Yu Darvish.

In the Fighters' season-opening game on March 29, 2013, Ohtani made his debut at the age of 18 as a right fielder. He was selected for a Pacific League roster spot for the 2013 All-Star Game. He finished the season as a pitcher with a 3–0 record in 11 starts. Ohtani was used as both a rookie and a pitcher in both the outfield (leading the Fighters with 51 games in right) and as a starter. Following Kikuo Tokunaga's 1951 debut as both a pitcher and position player, Ohtani was the first to debut in both roles. He was the first NPB pitcher since Takao Kajimoto in 1963 to bat 3rd, 4th, or 5th, and the first rookie hurler to do so since Junzo Sekine in 1950. In that game, he was the second player, after Osamu Takechi (also 1950), to start a game at pitcher, bat in the order (3rd to 5th) and get a hit and a run batted. He missed time throughout the year due to a right ankle sprain and a right cheekbone fracture.

He was 3–0 on a 3.23 ERA, 33 walks, and 46 strikeouts in 61+239 innings, a record on the season. In 204 plate appearances, she scored.238/.376/.376. To one error, he had seven outfield assists. In the 2013 Pacific League, his 8 hit batsmen defeated Manabu Mima, Tadashi Settsu, Hideaki Wakui, and Ryoma Nogami for 5th place. Ohtani received 4 of the 233 votes for the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award (Pacific League), tying Tatsuya Sato for a distant second, behind Takahiro Norimoto. Ohtani chose to live in the team's provided dormitories during his five-year tenure with the Fighters, while his parents oversaw his personal finances.

Ohtani continued to play as both a pitcher and outfielder throughout the entire season, exploiting his solid throwing arm as well as his impressive batting skills. In 212 at-bats, he batted.274 with 28 extra-base hits (including 10 home runs), 31 RBIs, and a.842 on-base plus slugging percentage. He was 11–4 with a 2.61 ERA in 24 starts and knocked out 179 (third in NPB) in 155.1 innings as a pitcher. His 10.4 K/9 was the best in the league, but opponents had only.223 against him.

In a match against the Orix Buffaloes on September 7, he homered at Kyocera Dome to become the first Japanese player to reach double digits in both home runs and victories. On September 13, he tossed a 1–0 shutout against Orix, becoming the first pitcher out of high school to win by 1–0 shutout in his first two years for the Fighters since Toshiaki Moriyasu in 1967. He was also the first pitcher out of high school to win two shutout games in his first two years in the NPB since Yu Darvish.

During the 1st inning of the Mazda All-Star Game, he threw a 162 mph (100 mph) fastball, tying a new record for the fastest official pitch thrown by a Japanese pitcher, beating the record set by Yakult Swallows' Yoshinori Sato in 2010 (161 km/h (100 mph). The jersey he wore during the game sold for 1,752,000 yen ($17,000), making it the top-seller at the All-Star 2014 Charity Auction. The funds were distributed to three Tohoku earthquake relief funds.

Ohtani recorded the fastest pitch by a Japanese pitcher in a professional game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on October 5, tying Marc Kroon's all-time record for NPB pitchers. In the 1st inning, Akaminai Ginji, a lead-off hitter, was on the pitch. Ohtani threw a fastball that registered 162 km/h (101 mph) on the stadium radar gun, as well as smashing Ginji's bat in half, despite the count being 0–1. He also hit 162 km/h twice against Aoi Enomoto, the second hitter. Eight out of the 15 pitches he threw in the 1st inning were in the 160s; 99s in MPH.

Ohtani was selected to play for the national team, named Samurai Japan, and competed in the Suzuki All-Star Series, a five-game friendly tournament with a squad of major leaguers, during the offseason. He pitched one shutout inning in relief in game 1, retiring three batters in a row. He started game 5 at the Sapporo Dome and, although his team eventually lost (3–1), he wasn't charged with an earned run (he gave up two unearned), and out of the 12 outs he saw in four innings, he scored seven via strikeout. He threw mainly fastballs, even at a clocked one at 160 mph (99 mph), occasional curveballs, and a few forkballs in the mid-140s, including one that threw perfectly in the second inning to beat out Tampa Bay Rays star Ben Zobrist.

After Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2001, he became the second player out of high school in NPB history to reach 100 million yen in salary in his third year. His new salary estimate has more than tripled that of his previous work, which was estimated at 30 million yen.

Ohtani's third season (and second full season) in 2015 marked his third professional season (and second full season). Despite the fact that his offensive production dropped somewhat (5 home runs), his on the mound was one of the best in the league, winning him the starting position in the 2015 All-Star Game and the pitching position in the end-of-year Pacific League Best Nine awards, earning him the best in the league. Ohtani started the 2015 NPB All-Star Game 1 for the PL. He went two innings and fanned two, leaving one run (on a double by Yoshitomo Tsugugo and a single by Jose Lopez) and Nishi with a 1–0 deficit) after Nishi. But he would lose 8–6, but he would have a no-decision. With a 2.24 ERA, 196 strikeouts, and only 100 hits in 160+223 innings, he ended the season 15-55 with a 2.24 ERA, 61 strikeouts, and only 100 hits in 160+223 innings. He led the PL in ERA (.14 over Nishi), tied Wakui for the most victories and second in strikeouts (19 behind Norimoto) but he bowled 34 fewer innings). He seldom played in a baseball but did get some action at DH, hitting.202/.376 with 5 home runs in 109 at bats. He was named the Best Nine as the country's top hurler. He came in third place in MVP voting for the 2015 Pacific League MVP, behind Yanagita and Shogo Akiyama. Ohtani came in third in MVP (first among pitchers) and was one of three candidates for the 2015 Sawamura Award, which is given annually to the best pitcher in either league.

With a 15-five record in only 22 starts, Ohtani's 2.24 ERA, 5 complete games, and 3 shutouts were also top in the league, with a 15-five record, 5 shutouts, and his 15-53 record in just 22 starts. All these stats were career highs, as were his 196 strikeouts, 0.909 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts per nine innings.

In the 2015 Premier 12 race, Ohtani was the best for the Japanese national team. While knocking out eventual champion South Korea (10 K, 2 BB, 0 R in 6 IP) before Norimoto was relieved, he hit 100 mph. In the semifinals, facing South Korea, he was even more sharper (11 K, 0 BB, 1 H, 1 H, 1 H in 7 IP). He did not give up a hit until Keun-woo Jeong was spotted in the 7th and had the most whiffs in a game for the first Premier 12 years ever. Norimoto had a 3–0 lead, but four other relievers gathered to force four in the 9th to blow it as Japan lost in a shocking defeat. He was the event in ERA (Scott Diamond had 12 innings with a 0.00 ERA to Ohtani's 13) and strike outs (one ahead of Chun-Lin Kuo) while allowing the lowest average by a starting pitcher. He was named All-Star SP for the event (Sho Nakata was Samurai Japan's only other player to be selected for the All-Star team).

Ohtani's record in 104 games and 382 plate appearances in 2016, he had 22 home runs. He also hit 18 doubles, 67 RBI, and was batting.322 with an OBP of.416, scored 65 runs and had 7 stolen bases. He was named hitter for the Best Nine awards. Ohtani was the same dominant pitcher on the mound. He had a career low in ERA of 1.86 in 21 games pitched. He had a ten-four record, struck out 174 batters in 140 innings in 140 innings, with four complete games and one shutout. He also received the Pacific League MVP award for his efforts as a pitcher and won the Pacific League MVP. He received nearly double as many votes as any other pitcher for the 2016 NPB All-Star Game; he had 300,025 while #2 Shota Takeda had 158,008. He was unable to pitch due to a blister on his finger, but he wound up playing as a designated hitter (DH). In Game 1, he batted for DH Yuya Hasegawa and lined out in the 8th against Scott Mathieson. He started his PL journey with a 3–0 deficit in Game 2 and ended up 5th. In the 7th, he singled out Ryo Akiyoshi in the 7th and scored on a hit by Kenta Imamiya for a 4–3 lead. With a 5–4 deficit in the 8th, he snagged Shinji Tajima to bring in Shogo Akiyama with the tying run. In the 5–5 tie, he then scored three of the PL's five runs, earning him game MVP award. During the year, he hit the radar gun at 165 km/h (102.5 mph), setting a new NPB record.

He ended the year at.322/.588 with 22 home runs on offense, 382 plate appearances on offense, and a 1.86 ERA on the mound, with 144 strikeouts in 140 innings. He came in eighth in PL wins and third in strikeouts (behind Norimoto and Kodai Senga).

He commanded Nippon Ham to the 2016 Japan Series but he missed the opener to Hiroshima Carp; he fanned 11 in 6 innings but allowed three runs, two on a home run by Brad Eldred and one on a Seiya Suzuki steal of a home. In game 3, he was down 2 games to 0; as the DH, he was up for a challenge, a run, and a RBI. Nishikawa was the champion in the bottom of the 10th; Nippon Ham will take the second Japan Series title in the next three games. Brandon Laird, a teammate, would win the Series MVP. Ohtani had four doubles, hitting the.375/.425 on offense rather than on the mound for the Series.

He was named as the best pitcher and top DH in the PL as the best nine pitchers and top DH in the PL. He was the first to win the awards as both a pitcher and a hitter. Alfredo Despaigne, a four-time Cuban MVP, won DH by a large margin (190 votes to 47; 3 others combined for 8 votes), but the vote at pitcher was closer (he had 111 of 245 votes, Ishikawa 69 and Tsuyoshi Wada 61). He was the run-away winner of the 2016 Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award, receiving 253 of 254 first-place votes (Naoki Miyanishi got the other one) and one second-place vote. He gained 1,268 vote points, to 298 for runner-up Laird.

He played in 65 games, hitting.332 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs while still achieving a 3–2 record, a 3.20 ERA, and 29 strikeouts as a pitcher. Ohtani will ask to be drafted at the end of the season in order to play in Major League Baseball in 2018. However, before that could have happened, he underwent right ankle surgery in early October. The injury occurred in the 2016 Japan Series and cost him his opportunity to compete in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, rather than limiting his playing time throughout the season. Ohtani and MLB came to a pact on November 21, 2017.

Ohtani was subjected to international signing laws because he was under the age of 25 years old. This put his compensation at $3.557 million and limited him to a rookie salary scale, while the signing team had to pay a $20 million posting fee to the Fighters, which was capped at $3.557 million. Ohtani narrowed his field to seven teams, earning him a $2.315 million reward from the Angels.

Ohtani agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Angels on December 8, 2017. The agreement was signed the next day. Ohtani was diagnosed with a first-degree UCL sprain in his right elbow on December 13, according to the magazine. To heal the wound, he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection.

The Angels reported that they will continue to use Ohtani as both a hitter and a pitcher before the season starts. In his first at bat, Ohtani appeared as the designated hitter on Opening Day, March 29, against the Oakland Athletics. He made his pitching debut on April 1st, striking out six batters in six innings while still allowing three runs to win his first MLB victory. Ohtani's first MLB home run, a 397-foot three-run home run against Josh Tomlin, came on April 3. He scored his third home run in three days on April 6, becoming the first Angels rookie to do so. Ohtani was off to a winning start on the mound on April 8, with 613 innings as the deciding striker. Overall, Ohtani pitched seven scoreless innings while striking out 12. Ohtani left after two innings against the Boston Red Sox due to a blister on his right middle finger. After a blister on the same finger, Ohtani left the game on June 6. He was put on the disabled list for the first time in his MLB career due to a Grade 2 UCL sprain in his right elbow. To fix the bleeding, he underwent platelet-rich plasma and stem-cell injections.

On July 2, Ohtani was activated from the disabled list as a hitter and went 0-for-4 against the Seattle Mariners. Ohtani scored two home runs against the Cleveland Indians on August 3, his first two home runs in a road game and his first two home runs.

Ohtani hadn't pitched for 11 weeks, and Angels boss Mike Scioscia announced that Ohtani would play against the Houston Astros on September 2. Ohtani set a new home run record for a Japanese rookie on September 7, smashing his 19th home run for the season.

Ohtani's rookie season came to an end with a batting average of.285, a.361 on-base percentage, 22 home runs, 61 RBIs, and ten stolen bases. He made a 4–2 record, 1.16 walks per inning pitched (WHIP), and 63 strikeouts in ten starts on the mound. His.564 slugging percentage ranked seventh overall among MLB players with at least 350 plate appearances this season. He was the second fastest Angels rookie to reach 20 home runs, and he joined Babe Ruth as the only MLB players with 10 pitching appearances and 20 home runs in a season. In April and September, he received the American League Rookie of the Month award twice; in April and September.

After an MRI revealed new injury to his UCL, doctors advised Ohtani to have Tommy John surgery on September 3, 2018. Ohtani had agreed to the treatment, which would keep him off the field until 2020, according to the Angels. Ohtani underwent successful Tommy John surgery, according to Angels general manager Billy Eppler on October 1. He was named the American League Rookie of the Year on November 12, which was announced on November 12.

Ohtani appeared in his first game with the Angels after suffering Tommy John surgery, batting as a designated hitter against the Detroit Tigers on May 7, 2019. Ohtani became the first Japanese-born player to reach for the cycle in MLB history in a match against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 13. Ohtani's 2019 season came to an end on September 12, after it was revealed that he needed surgery to repair a bipartite patella. He hit.286/.43/.505 in 106 games, with 18 home runs, 62 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 MLB season did not begin until July 24. Ohtani was the first automatic player on second base in a official MLB game at the start of the tenth inning as part of one of the new 2020 MLB season's first rules in a match against the Oakland Athletics on July 24, 2020. In a shootout, he was kicked out.

Ohtani made his first pitching appearance since September 2018, on July 26, 2020 against the Oakland Athletics. He allowed five runs and was suspended from the game without recording a single outing, starting his season with a loss and an infinite ERA. Ohtani began to feel pain in his right arm, and it was eventually revealed that he had a flexor strain in his right elbow after doing an MRI. Ohtani would not pitch for the remainder of the season, according to Angels boss Joe Maddon.

Ohtani on the offensive front finished the season batting.190/.366 with 7 home runs, 24 RBIs, and 7 stolen bases in 43 games. Ohtani referred to being "frustrated" and "useless" as a result of his injuries in his 2019 and 2020 campaigns. He continued to say that although his 2019 had been disappointing, his 2020 had been "more like cramminess" because he couldn't pitch or strike the way he wanted to. "I could more or less do the things I wanted to do before 2019," Ohtani said. I'd pretty much never felt the urge to do something but being completely unable to do it."

Ohtani spent the offseason resurrecting himself following the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He adapted his diet based on blood-sample analysis and resurrecting his squatting habit, focusing on strengthening his lower half and bulking up to 225 pounds. He started bullpen sessions earlier than anticipated and took batting practice against live pitching, marking his first appearance in the offseason. Ohtani also used technology to enhance his preparation and recovery by visiting Driveline Baseball, a well-known player-development destination for underperforming pitchers, where he also tinkered with a changeup. In addition, the Angels general manager Perry Minasian, manager Joe Maddon, and Ohtani decided to allow Ohtani to play without limitations or limits and drop the "Ohtani Rules," a rule that has been followed since the Angels' 2018 rookie season, which banned his usage of pitching from a schedule of starts. Ohtani will be responsible for his own daily diagnostics with Maddon, which will determine his pitching and hitting schedule.

Ohtani signed a two-year $8.5 million contract with the Angels on February 8, avoiding arbitration.

He threw 42,3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday Night Baseball, allowing one earned run and two unearned runs. He struck out seven batters in the first round of the season. In addition, Ohtani came in second in the lineup. On the first pitch he faced, he went 1-for-3, hitting a 450-foot solo home run.

Ohtani made his second start of the season on April 20, against the Texas Rangers after missing a scheduled date against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a blister. He threw four scoreless innings, striking out seven batters and allowing one to hit under a 75-pitch maximum. Ohtani won his first game of the season on April 26, getting his third start against the Texas Rangers. He pitched five innings, yielding four runs in the first inning and striking out nine others. He went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, which was enssive. Ohtani was also the first player in nearly 100 years to play on the mound and the day leading the Majors in home runs. Babe Ruth took the field for the Yankees on June 13, 1921, leading the AL with 19 home runs.

Ohtani was elected to the 2021 Home Run Derby on June 18, becoming both the first pitcher and the first Japanese player to do so. For the third time in his career, Ohtani was named AL Player of the Week after hitting six home runs and winning by as starting pitcher three days later. For the fourth time in his career, he was named AL Player of the Week in six games after hitting six home runs and recording a 1.543 OPS with eight RBIs in six games to help the Angels beat the Angels 5-1. He made history by hitting for himself as a pitcher and the second batter in the lineup against the Giants with designated hitter rules in place on June 23, the first time an American League team has chosen not to use a DH while a National League team used one.

Ohtani was named the American League Player of the Month for June, for the first time in his career, as a hitter, he had 13 home runs and a 1.312 OPS as a pitcher and had two victories as a pitcher. Ohtani made the first appearance in American League history on July 3 against the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the first player in the first 81 games of the season to reach 30 home runs and ten stolen bases.

Ohtani made history by becoming the first person to be selected as both a position player and a pitcher on July 4, 2010. He had already been selected by the fans for the 2021 All-Star Game on July 1, while the players had selected him as one of five starting pitchers for the American League roster on July 4. Ohtani had his 32nd home run of the year on July 7, a solo shot off Boston Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodrn's record for the most home runs hit in a season by a Japanese-born player in MLB. In addition, Ohtani received the Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award, becoming the first Japanese player to win the award.

On July 12, Ohtani competed in the Home Run Derby. In the first round, he scored 22 home runs, tying him with opponent Juan Soto. Ohtani and Soto were tied again at 28 home runs in a tiebreaker round. Although Soto won the round after a second tiebreaker, Ohtani set a new record for the most home runs in the Derby of at least 500 feet with six. Ohtani received $150,000 for his service, but he went out of his way to thank them for their contributions, which included trainers, clubhouse employees, and media relations employees. No matter what his Derby result was, Ohtani had decided that he was going to use the money in this way.

Ohtani made All-Star Game history by becoming the starting pitcher and leadoff designated hitter for the American League on July 13. After pitching a perfect first innings, he became the first player in major league history to participate in the Home Run Derby and earn a win as the starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. In addition, he was the first leadoff man to throw a 100-mph fastball in the All-Star Game.

Ohtani, the first pitcher in league history to have 100 strikeouts against the Colorado Rockies, got off to a record-breaking 35 home runs before the start of July, making him the first pitcher in the league to post triple-digit strikeouts and added more than nine home runs in the same season. In addition, Ohtani became the first pitcher to throw a scoreless top half and record a single run while playing in an AL ballpark since Luis Tiant did so for the Minnesota Twins on April 26, 1970.

Ohtani will complete the month of July as the first major league player to have at least 37 home runs and 15 stolen bases before the end of July. Ohtani earned his second American League Player of the Month Award in both leagues since Chase Headley in August and September 2012, the first in the league since Josh Hamilton in 2012. He played nine home runs, 19 RBIs, 16 walks, and a.362/.671 slash line in 23 games at the plate, as well as a 20-inning run and one walk in 20 innings in July.

Ohtani pitched a flawless 8 innings against the Detroit Tigers on August 18, a career high by throwing 90 outs in eight innings while also hitting a solo homer for his 40th birthday this year. He was the first left-handed batter in Angels history to reach 40 home runs, beating lefty Reggie Jackson's 1982 record of 39. He became the fourth AL pitcher to throw at least eight innings and strike a homer in a game since the DH was announced in 1973, joining Jon Garland in June 2006, Kris Benson in June 2005, and Bobby Witt in June 1997.

Ohtani would start the month of August by stealing his 20th base against the San Diego Padres on August 28, becoming the first Japanese-born player and the first Angels player to reach 40 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same season. He worked with Alex Rodriguez in 2007 and Ken Griffey Jr. in 1999, making him the third AL player to do this feat before September. He was also the first AL player to reach both of those numbers in a season since Curtis Granderson in 2011.

Ohtani made his first home run of the season on September 21, becoming the first player to reach at least 45 home runs and steal 20 bases since Alex Rodriguez in 2007. When Ohtani hit two triples in a season, he became the first Angels player to do so since Peter Bourjos in April 2011.

Ohtani walked 13 walks in a 4-game period from September 22 to September 25, tying a Babe Ruth record set in 1930, Bryce Harper in 2016, and Yasmani Grandal in 2021. On September 22, he took a career-high four walks against the Houston Astros and three walks on September 23, followed by four more walks against the Seattle Mariners on September 24 and two walks on September 25. In the three game series, his 11 walks set a new MLB record, which was also tied by Harper in 2016.

Ohtani was named as both the team's Los Angeles Angels Player of the Year 2021 and the team's Nick Adenhart Pitcher of the Year Award, according to his teammates.

Ohtani reached the 150-strike out milestone against the Seattle Mariners on September 26 and finished the year unbeaten at home, going 6–0 with a 1.95 ERA in 13 starts. Ohtani's home ERA was the lowest by an Angels starter since Jered Weaver in 2011. He was also the sixth starter in AL or NL history to start at least 13 home starts without a losing decision and an ERA below 2.00 in a season. Ohtani led to second-most home runs in a season against the Seattle Mariners in the last game of the season, defeating only Troy Glaus' 47 home runs in 2000.

Ohtani closed his pitching season on the mound, going 9–2 with a 3.18 ERA, 156 strikeouts, 1.09 WHIP, and 44 walks in 130 1/3 innings. Ohtani had an American League-leading 20 intentional walks, the most by an AL player since Mike Trout in 2018. Ohtani, who batted.257/.392, including 46 home runs, 103 runs, and 26 steals in 155 games and 639 plate appearances, reached several significant milestones in his career, including 46 home runs. With eight triples and 26 stolen bases, he tied for second in MLB with eight triples to go along with 26 stolen bases. Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to have at least 45 home runs, 25 stolen bases, 100 runs, 100 runs, and eight triples in a season, and the second player in AL history to have at least 45 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season, joining Jose Canseco in 1998. Ohtani led the league with a wins over replacement (WAR) value of 9.1 and finished third in home runs (56), fifth in stolen bases (96), fifth in batting runs (68), fifth in OPS+ (158), and first in power runs (33.2).

Ohtani was unanimously named the American League Most Valuable Player, rising to the 23rd pitcher and first designated hitter to receive the award. Ohtani, the first player to be selected to both squads and second team in the same season (as a designated hitter and starting pitcher respectively) for the 2021 All-MLB Team. He was the first Japanese player and the first Angels player to win the Edgar Martnez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. Ohtani was also named on Time 100's list of the Most Influential People of 2021, which culminated in numerous end-of-the-season accolades. He was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year, Sporting News Athlete of the Year, Baseball Digest Player of the Year, and Major League Player of the Year. He was named Best Player of the Year Award, Players' Choice Player of the Year Award, and the Players' Choice American League Outstanding Player Award, among his MLB peers.

In addition, Ohtani's 2021 season was recognized for two Guinness World Records titles: (1) the first MLB player to reach 100+ strikeouts as a pitcher and 100+ RBIs, as a batter, and 100+ RBIs as a batter, and (2) the first MLB player to play in a single season as both a pitcher and a designated hitter. He also became the 16th recipient of the Commissioner's Distinguished Achievement Award, who officially recognized Ohtani's 2021 season as "highly significant" and "unprecedented," according to Commissioner Rob Manfred, who noted "so important" that the significant achievement that occurred in 2021 with an award that was not announced until 2021. The Prime Minister of Japan awarded Ohtani the People's Honour Award in honor of his service, but Ohtani turned down the award because it was "too late" for such a distinction.

Sporting News published the article "The 50 greatest seasons in sports history" on December 22, 2021. Ohtani's 2021 season was ranked No. 1, surpassing great seasons by players like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky, and Lionel Messi.

Major League Baseball issued a new rule on March 22, 2022, allowing for a pitcher in the batting order to remain in the game as a designated hitter after being barred from the pitching mound. Because of Ohtani's unique prowess as a two-way player, the decision was colloquially dubbed the "Ohtani rule." Because he is done pitching at his customary designated hitter spot rather than being moved to a defensive position like the outfield, Ohtani will stay in the game.

Ohtani was announced as the Angels' 2022 starter on March 25, who was named as the Angels' Opening Day starter. He flocked four runs and one walk against the Houston Astros, allowing one earned run and one walk while striking out 9. He was the first player in baseball history to start Opening Day as both the starting pitcher and the leadoff hitter. On April 20, Ohtani batted twice in the first inning, becoming the first starting pitcher to do so since at least 1900. Ohtani smashed 5+1/3 perfect innings before giving up a single to former Houston teammate Jason Castro, the only hit of the game for Houston. Ohtani finished the game with 1 hit, no runs, 1 walk abandoned, and 12 strikeouts, tying his career high. He was 2-4 on offense with a run and 2 RBIs. Ohtani pitched against the Texas Rangers on April 14, giving him his first grand slam against Jonah Heim in an eventual 10-5 loss to the Angels. Coincidentally, Heim was also the first grand slam to have struck by him.

On May 5, 2022, Ohtani, who was third in third base and getting his first career start on the mound at Fenway Park, became the first starting pitcher to bat in one of the top-four spots in a game at Fenway since Babe Ruth did so on September 20, 1919. In the Angels' 8-0 victory over the Red Sox, he threw 11 strikeouts, while still going 2-for-4 from the plate and a RBI single in the eighth inning to become the second starting pitcher to ever record a hit at Fenway since Roger Clemens in 1973. He caused 29 swings and misses, the most recorded number of swings and missings in a game of 2022.

On May 9, 2022, Ohtani had two home runs, including a grand slam, against the Tampa Bay Rays for the second time in his 2022 season and the eighth time in his career, beating Ichiro Suzuki for the most single home run in MLB history, while also going 3-for-four and a career-high five RBIs. Both NPB and MLB made the grand slam his first appearance of his professional career. Ohtani claimed his 100th home run in his career on May 14, making him the third Japanese-born player to score at least 100 home runs in the majors, trailing only Hideki Matsui with 175 and Ichiro Suzuki with 117. Ohtani was also a member of Babe Ruth as the only pitcher with at least 100 home runs and at least 250 strikeouts as a pitcher.

In a 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on June 9, 2022, Ohtani unleashed a go-ahead two-run home run and pitched seven innings, including throwing a 101 mph fastball to beat Rafael Devers for his third run out of his career, snaping an end to the Angels' 14-game losing streak, which was the longest in franchise history. The win lifted a six-game pitching span from June 9 to July 13, with Ohtani going 6-3 for 39.2 IP (2.0 ER) and 58 strikeouts, while others went 2-or-less in a six-game span, joining Cy Young winners Johan Santana (2004), R.A. Dickey (2012), and Clayton Kershaw (2014).

Ohtani made MLB history by winning at least eight RBIs in a game and knocking out at least 10 batters the next day. Ohtani recorded two three-run home runs and set a career-high with eight RBIs on June 21, becoming the first player born in Japan to have 8 RBI in a game and the eighth player in Angels history to have eight RBIs in a game. On Aug. 21, 2007, Ohtani's eight RBIs were the most by an Angels player since Garrison Anderson had a franchise-record ten RBIs against the New York Yankees. It was also the most RBIs in a game by a Japanese-born player, out beating seven-RBI games from Hideki Matsui in 2009 and Tadahito I 2006. On the following day, Ohtani set a new career high by 13 strikeouts over eight scoreless innings to help the Angels win 5-0 over the Kansas City Royals, the 19th player in the Angels' history with 13 strikeouts in a game and the first since Patrick Sandoval against the Minnesota Twins in a game.

Ohtani made MLB history by defeating the Miami Marlins in 1920 to post 10 strikeouts as a pitcher, two RBIs as a batter, and a stolen base all in a single game. His 111 strikeouts in the game made him the first Angels pitcher to reach 110 K's in the first half in fewer than 100 innings, while the first Angels pitcher to 110 K's in the first half since Garrett Richards in 2014. He was also the fourth Angels player with multiple seasons of 15 home runs and ten stolen bases prior to the All-Star break, as the eighth Major Leaguer since earned runs were reported in 1913 to record 40-plus strikeouts and zero earned runs in a four-start period.

Ohtani was voted in to the All-Star Game by fans on July 8 and again on July 10, the only player to be voted as both a position player and a pitcher twice. Ohtani revealed that he would only play as a hitter in the All Star Game, despite being regarded as a candidate for the AL team. Ohtani did not pitch, citing a scheduling conflict and his decision to "prioritize the season over the All-Star Game."

Ohtani completed three major feats on August 9, 2022, during a game against the Oakland Athletics, where he pitched and struck. Ohtani joined Babe Ruth as a one-homer, 10-win club; climbed on the all-time home run list for Japanese-born players; and set a single-season record in strikeouts. For the first time in his Major League career, Ohtani tossed six scoreless innings to win his 10th victory of the season. He and Babe Ruth are the only two players in AL and NL history to win at least ten games on the mound and over ten home runs in the same season. Ed Rile and Bullet Rogan were able to achieve this feat in the Negro Leagues as well. Ohtani's 25th home run of the season was his 118th home run, beating Ichiro Suzuki's 117 career home runs to rank second in the all-time Major League home run list for Japanese-born players. Ohtani's five strikeouts in the game brought him to 157 on the season, a new single-season record eclipsing his 2021 total of 156. Ohtani, a professional baseball player, went from 12,000 strikeouts to MLB (379).

On August 30, Ohtani unleashed a go-ahead three-run home run off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole in his sixth inning, becoming the only player in MLB history with ten+ pitching victories and 30+ HR in the same season. Ohtani had a career-best, team-leading 18-game streak that started on September 14 and ended on October 3.

On October 1, the Angels avoided arbitration with Ohtani by resigning Ohtani to a one-year contract worth $30 million for the 2023 season. The agreement, which was worth $30 million in his third year of arbitration, set a new record for a player in his third year of arbitration, beating the $27 million Mookie Betts receives before the 2020 season and also gives Ohtani the highest salary increase of any arbitration-eligible player; a $24.5 million increase from his 2022 salary of $5.5 million and $3 million of 2021.

Ohtani pitched five innings in a loss to the Oakland Athletics on October 5, becoming the first player to qualify for both the hitting and pitching leaderboards in a season in one season, with a maximum of 3.1 plate appearances and one inning pitched per game.

Ohtani's 2022 season ended with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 166 innings. In 157 games, he had 34 home runs, 30 doubles, 11 stolen bases, and 95 RBIs. Ohtani was the best in SO/9 innings rate (11.87), third in strikeouts (219), fourth in overall bases (404), fifth in intentional walks (90), and tied for seventh in runs (90). Ohtani was also the fastest player in the Majors to record 6+ triples and 34+ HR in 2022, making him the only player to do so in a second straight year. At 119.1 mph, he had a ball with the highest exit velocity in major league baseball for the season. He ran from home plate to first base in 4.09 seconds, the fastest ever run.

Ohtani was selected by his coworkers as both the team's Los Angeles Angels Player of the Year 2022 and the team's Nick Adenhart Pitcher of the Year Award.

In addition, the term "Ohtani reign" was included in Dictionary.com as a new entry in the dictionary in October.

International career

Ohtani was invited to Japan's Under-18 National Team, which then finished in sixth place at the 2012 U.S. Baseball World Championship 18U Baseball World Championship in Seoul, Korea.

Ohtani achieved bronze medal with the Samurai Japan National Baseball Team in the 2015 Premier12. He was the ace of Japan's pitching team, which included Kenta Maeda. Ohtani, the number one starter, made two pitching appearances for Japan, including against the Republic of Korea, winning Game 1 of the opening round and receiving a no-decision in the semifinals. Ohtani was later named to the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation All-World Team and named the Best Worst Player of the Year by the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation All-World Team.

Ohtani had been on the 28-man roster for the Japan National Baseball Team of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, but was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury.

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