Which team was Shohei Ohtani on before he came to the MLB?

It's safe to say that MLB fans have never seen anyone like Shohei Ohtani before. The Japanese two-way superstar has been one of the best players in the MLB since his debut in 2018. The former American League MVP has not only been one of the best hitters in baseball, but also one of the top pitchers in the league.

"Ohtani stats never cease to amaze me. One of the best pitchers in the league, a terrific hitter and oh by the way also one of the fastest runners. He doesn't get enough attention." - STL Sports

In 556 games in his MLB career, Shohei Ohtani has hit 127 home runs and 342 RBIs with 66 stolen bases. He also has a career batting average of .267 with a .886 OPS. While those numbers have been impressive, it's the fact that he is also an elite pitcher at the same time.

In 63 games started as a pitcher, Ohtani has a 28-14 record with a 2.96 ERA, while also racking up 441 strikeouts. In 2022, Shohei finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting and second in the American League MVP voting behind Aaron Judge.

Although the likes of Ohtani have not been seen since Babe Ruth, the Japanese superstar did this well before he made his Major League debut. Ohtani was a dominant force coming up in Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's top baseball league.

"Shohei Ohtani NPB's first home run" - ACard

After being selected by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters with the first overall pick, he went on to win the 2016 Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award, receiving 253 of 254 first-place votes.

From 2013 - 2017, Ohtani was a two-way superstar for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. In that time, he posted a 42-15 record with a 2.52 ERA and 624 strikeouts as a pitcher, while also batting .286 with 45 home runs and 166 RBIs.

Ohtani was released by the Fighters after the 2017 season and signed with the Angels. Shohei signed with the Angels for a $2.315 million signing bonus, despite being limited to the rookie signing scale.

Shohei Ohtani's accolades in the MLB

Now five seasons into his MLB career, Ohtani has been one of the best players in the league, while playing on one of the worst teams, the Los Angeles Angels. In that time, he has won the AL Rookie of the Year, a Silver Slugger award, and the American League MVP in 2021.

A two-time All-Star, Shohei Ohtani was also the first player in MLB history to be an All-Star as both a pitcher and a hitter when he was named a starter in the 2021 All-Star Game in both capacities.