LA Angels pitcher gives insight into his teammate Shohei Ohtani's English proficiency

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval recently shed light on his fellow teammate Shohei Ohtani's English proficiency. Being of Japanese origin, Ohtani has not yet mastered his spoken English skills, which is why he uses an interpreter. However, Ohtani is eventually learning the language.

As per Yahoo! Japan, Patrick Sandoval shared that Shohei was slowly grasping the English language but undermining his own skills.

"I think he understands English more than he thinks."

Sandoval also rated Ohtani's English proficiency on a scale of 10, ranking him 5-6.

“I mean, if I could speak English, I would speak English... But I came here to play baseball, at the end of the day, and I've felt like my play on the field could be my way of communicating with the people, with the fans." —Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 after playing in Japan for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith mocked Shohei Ohtani for not knowing English

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 11: ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith during Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum on July 11, 2021, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

In 2021, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith disapproved of Shohei Ohtani representing MLB above players born in the US.

Stephen mocked Ohtani on ESPN's morning talk show First Take and said:

“I understand that baseball is an international sport itself in terms of participation, but when you talk about an audience gravitating to the tube or to the ballpark, to actually watch you, I don’t think it helps that the number one face is a dude that needs an interpreter, so you can understand what the hell he’s saying in this country."

After facing a lot of backlash from the MLB world, Smith took to Twitter to issue an apology.

"I'm sincerely sorry." - Stephen A. Smith

In October 2002, Ohtani agreed to a $30 million contract with the LA Angels for the 2023 MLB season. It will be his final year with the Halos before he opts for free agency.