Shohei Ohtani labels WBC victory "best moment" of his life as phenom lives up to hype in pulsating finale against Team USA

Shohei Ohtani might have won countless individual accolades, but like any other athlete representing their country, winning a coveted world championship title tops all of that. For Ohtani too, as per him, winning the World Baseball Classic (WBC) is the greatest moment of his career.

The 28-year-old Japanese has plied his trade in two of the best baseball leagues in the world. He has won several trophies individually and even won the Nippon World Series in his home country. It's quite a given that for anything to surpass those achievements, the gravity of the prize has to be a lot.

It seems like for Shohei Ohtani, winning the World Baseball Classic has been that prize. It's well known that the one-of-a-kind player is very enthusiastic about promoting the sport in Japan. He has always taken pride in representing Japan in the MLB and playing for his nation has brought immense joy to him.

"I believe this is the best moment in my life," Ohtani said after the match.

The game between Team USA and Team Japan was a fitting final that went right down to the wire. It almost felt like cinema as fans were overjoyed to witness the epic clash between the two greats of the sport: Mike Trout against Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani triumphed against his Halos teammate as he struck him out on a 3-2 pitch. That proved to be the final out of the game as the Japanese bench cleared to celebrate with their team on the field.

---

Shohei Ohtani returns to play with the Angels for possibly one last season

Shohei Ohtani returns to the Los Angeles Angels camp ahead of the regular season. He will most likely be heading into free agency at the end of the 2023 season and will be desperate to taste some success with his first team in the MLB.

There is talk going around that the 2021 AL MVP will be drawing contracts from teams in excess of $500 million. Ohtani is currently in arbitration as he signed a $30 million contract with the Angels, the biggest amount given to a player in arbitration in the league's history.