Here is all about Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese MLB prodigy, know if the player can speak English and how does he talks to his teammatesย
Shohei Ohtani, also known as the Japanese MLA Prodigy, plays pitcher, outfielder, and designated hitter in professional baseball for the Los Angeles Angels.
Can Shohei Ohtani speak English and does he have a wife or girlfriend
Ohtani, known by his nicknames “The Unicorn” and “Shotime,” was selected for the Nippon Professional Baseball and eventually transferred to the Major League Baseball in 2018. He is one of the exclusive group of athletes that excels at both pitching and batting.
However, that isn’t the most outstanding quality about him. English is a second language for the five-time NPB All-Star. Ohtani struggles with speaking fluently, despite the fact that he can understand some words and sentences.
The Japanese two-way sensation recently discussed his preference for speaking Japanese during interviews rather than English in an interview with GQ. He stated:
โIf I could speak English, I would speak English. Of course, I would want to do that. Obviously, there would be no negatives that would come from that.โ
Shohei Ohtani said that he came to the United States to play baseball and that is what counts to him as his performance on the pitch is sufficient to interact with the public and supporters. Ohtani prefers to have an interpreter by his side while speaking in Japanese because he does not know English.
Ohtani admitted to his teammates that he gets along well with both the coach and them. Most of the time, he speaks in fluent but broken English. And in order to connect more effectively with Latin players, he prefers to utilise the Spanish language.
When the Los Angeles Angels drafted Ohtani in 2017, he moved here. He has attempted to learn English for six years, but he hasn’t been successful. When speaking English in public places, he interprets and uses translator.
Shohei Ohtani receives negative feedback from Stephen A. Smith.
Stephen A. Smith from ESPN complained on a July episode of First Take about how Ohtani’s interpreter is using it to harming baseball in America. He stated:
This brother is special, make no mistake about it.ย But the fact that youโve got a foreign player that doesnโt speak English, that needs an interpreterโbelieve it or not, I think contributes to harming the game to some degree, when thatโs your box office appeal.โ
https://x.com/JordanHeckFF/status/1414641371948982278?s=20
Shohei Ohtani, a rising star in the MLA ranks, chose not to escalate this matter. He responded by saying:
Of course I would want to. Obviously, it wouldnโt hurt to be able to speak English. There would only be positive things to come from that. But I came here to play baseball, at the end of the day, and Iโve felt like my play on the field could be my way of communicating with the people, with the fans.โ
As of August 2023, Shohei Ohtani is currently single and was previously in a relationship with Kamalani Dung, although he had been tight-lipped about their relationship, such as evading questions whenever inquired about his personal life.