Max Muncy shares rare glimpse on Shohei Ohtani’s off-the-field personality

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is regarded as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, MLB players. However, the Japanese two-way phenom's demeanor is just like any other player's, per Dodgers teammate Max Muncy.

In an interview with Dodgers Nation, Max Muncy said that Shohei Ohtani plays with the energy and personality of a 10-year-old and continues to have fun with his teammates despite his stature.

Muncy said about the three-time MVP's giddiness and energy:

"He’s awesome. He’s a lot of fun. He loves to joke around and he loves to play little pranks on everybody. He’s always smiling and laughing and having a good time. When you were like 10 years old, there was always that guy you played with, you swore was like 16, just so much better than everybody. That’s how he feels. He’s just a little kid that’s just better than everybody else out there.”

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The Dodgers infielder also shared that Ohtani remains humble in the clubhouse despite his reputation as one of the biggest MLB stars around the globe.

"He’s always cracking jokes, and it’s fun to be around a guy like that, to be such a global superstar, and to realize how humble he is and how lighthearted he is and how much fun he likes to have with everybody.”

Shohei Ohtani edges closer to pitching return as Dodgers remain patient

While Shohei Ohtani continues his MVP-calibre output at the plate this season, the anticipation around his pitching return is growing. The Japanese two-way phenom made another big stride towards his return to the mound after throwing 44 pitches in three simulated innings on Tuesday.

While Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there is a "north of zero" chance of Ohtani making the rotation ahead of the All-Star game in July, he is willing to be patient with the reigning NL MVP.

"It's tempting," Roberts said. "I'm sure Shohei is tempted to just rip the Band-Aid off for a big league game. But I think we've done a good job of just being patient. And truth be told, I don't know if anyone knows the right time to get him in a big league game. But we're still being very careful."

Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-5 in the series opener against the San Diego Padres on Monday, driving a run for the team in a narrow 8-7 win.

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