“I grew up pretty thin” - Shohei Ohtani discloses surprising facts about himself and his journey as a 2-way star

Reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani is gearing up for his fifth consecutive All-Star game, his second with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Ahead of the Midsummer Classic, the Japanese two-way phenom talked about his childhood in a conversation with Pat McAfee on Monday's edition of the Pat McAfee Show.

“I initially grew up watching professional baseball in Japan because I wanted to be an NPB player first,” Ohtani told McAfee via his interpreter Will Ireton (2:30 onwards). “But then as I started watching more Major League Baseball, my dream grew, and I really wanted to play in the big leagues.”

Shohei Ohtani has captivated baseball fans with his unprecedented two-way ability since his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels. When Pat McAfee asked the Japanese superstar if he had stronger muscles that aided his two-way ability, Ohtani said:

"I grew up pretty thin, and I was not the way I look right now. So I worked out a lot, and I ate a lot, and this is how I became."

Ohtani, who batted from the leadoff spot and was the AL starting pitcher in his first All-Star game in 2021, is unlikely to pitch in this year's contest with Paul Skenes starting for the NL team.

Shohei Ohtani shed light on his hitting prowess growing up

While Atlanta Braves legend John Smoltz claimed Shohei Ohtani would be the best pitcher in the MLB if he only pitched, the Dodgers star said that he was a more talented hitter growing up and that he developed his pitching later.

"I feel like I was more talented as a hitter growing up," Ohtani said on the Pat McAfee Show. "And it was hard for me to pitch actually. So I feel like I'm more of a hitter who learned how to pitch more than a pitcher learning how to hit."

Shohei Ohtani will be facing AL starter and reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the mound on Tuesday. It'll be an intriguing battle between two of the best players this season.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash