Answering Google's top questions about Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani has captured the minds and hearts of baseball fans like no player has in quite some time.

The Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation has dazzled both on the mound and in the batter’s box this year, which makes him the favorite to take home the 2021 American League MVP Award.

Ohtani’s exploits have piqued the curiosity of many a Google user. Here are the top 10 questions people are asking Google about "the Japanese Babe Ruth," with our answers below.

Can Shohei Ohtani speak English?

Though Ohtani has proved to be a quick learner — and has even dabbled in Spanish — the Japanese superstar does not have sufficient command of the English language to go without an interpreter.

Ippei Mizuhara has served as Ohtani’s English/Japanese interpreter for five years, and the two have become very close. Mizuhara even served as Ohtani’s catcher during this year's Home Run Derby.

What college did Shohei Ohtani go to?

Ohtani bypassed college and went straight to professional baseball from Hanamaki Higashi High School.

He intended to jump to the MLB in 2012, but his top-choice team — the Los Angeles Dodgers — would not let him become a two-way player. The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters — who drafted him at age 18 — were willing to let Ohtani pitch and hit, so he stayed with them for five seasons before his jump to MLB.

What nationality is Shohei Ohtani?

Ohtani is Japanese. He was born in Oshu, Iwate, Japan, and spent his entire childhood in Iwate Prefecture, which is located in the northeast part of Honshu (Japan’s largest island).

Can Shohei Ohtani pitch and hit in the same game?

Though the Angels were hesitant to do so at first, Ohtani has been allowed to pitch and hit in the same game numerous times in 2021.

Ohtani has a  5-1 record, with a 3.04 ERA, on the mound this year, and leads the majors in home runs (37, as of July 28). If he continues at this pace, it would be hard to deny him AL MVP honors.

How tall is Shohei Ohtani?

Ohtani is listed 6'4" and 210 pounds. He can thank his parents for his athletic build, as both were athletes.

Ohtani’s father was a corporate league baseball player, and his mother was a badminton player.

What is Shohei Ohtani’s salary?

Ohtani is playing for the bargain price of $3 million in 2021 and has only earned $4.195 million in his MLB career. He is due $5.5 million in 2022, will be arbitration-eligible in 2023, and can declare free agency in 2024.

How old is Shohei Ohtani?

Ohtani was born on July 5, 1994, which makes him 27 years old. He has been playing professional baseball since he was 19. He made his debut in Nippon Professional Baseball on March 29, 2013.

Is Shohei Ohtani better than Babe Ruth?

Only a total prisoner of the moment would argue Ohtani’s résumé stands up to Babe Ruth’s.

But it is interesting to note that the former has outslugged the latter when looking at the first 347 games of their careers (.552 to .541).

No AL player had ever hit 31 home runs and stolen 12 bases by the All-Star break, until “Shotime” did it this year.

The Babe Ruth comparisons will probably follow Ohtani for the rest of his career, as “the Sultan of Swat” is the most noteworthy two-way player in the history of baseball. It remains to be seen how many years Ohtani will continue to both pitch and hit. Ruth took the mound in 158 games over six seasons with the Boston Red Sox, but pitched in only five games with the New York Yankees, over 15 seasons.

How much is a Shohei Ohtani card worth?

As any collector will tell you, there are numerous factors that go into determining the worth of a given baseball card — condition, rarity, the player on the card, etc.

A run-of-the-mill Ohtani card — even from his rookie season — typically goes for $25 or less on the open market. But particularly rare cards, especially ones that are autographed, can go for thousands of dollars on eBay and similar auction websites.

Does Shohei Ohtani have Instagram?

Ohtani’s official Instagram handle is @shoheiohtani, and although he has just 17 posts, he has more than a million followers.

Ohtani had fewer than 400,000 followers just more than a year ago, which speaks to his meteoric rise in popularity.