The Japanese Superstar

Undoubtedly a phenomenon, one of the best baseball players today (not to be absolute) and a world star. Yes, Shohei Ohtani is all that at 28 years old and he can still be more.

I am honest, in my country (Cuba) major league baseball is not broadcasted much, so I am not a follower of MLB. However, thanks to the internet I am aware of the development of that championship. As such Ohtani's name had come to me as a reference among the best baseball players, but I had never seen him, until the World Baseball Classic 2023.

To be honest, watching a great ballplayer and not admiring him is difficult, but it's almost impossible to watch a unique player and not become a fan. In Ohtani's case, he's not only a unique player, he's a rare breed in baseball.

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If it is already difficult to find a player who hits and hits well, it is almost impossible to find a player who hits well, with speeds over 100 miles per hour and hits for an average over 270 and with the ability to give more than 30 home runs in the season. That's Shohei Ohtani.

Watching him play in the World Classic was a pleasure, in this event he ended up being chosen as the most valuable player (MVP) and starred in an image for history. After being the designated hitter for the entire game with 4 appearances (1k,1bb,1 hit), he came out to pitch the bottom of the last inning.

It is here where the best pitcher batter confrontation of the whole tournament takes place when he dominates Mike Trout with a strikeout to give the title to Japan.

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With a prolific career in both NPB and MLB, Ohtani is arguably entering his best years as an athlete. After being underpaid at Los Angeles Angels because he signed under the age of 25 and had to submit to international signing rules and the rookie salary scale, he agreed to a 2023 salary of $30 million in his final year before becoming a free agent.

Many experts believe that the Japanese could be the first player to reach a deal of $500 million or more in Major League Baseball free agency, something that would make him the highest-paid player of all time. Undoubtedly, he has the quality for such a contract.

For now, after watching him play, Ohtani certainly has one more fan in me.

*Originaly posted in Hive