Shohei Ohtani originally planned to go straight to Major League Baseball after graduating from Hanamaki Higashi High School.

Instead, he was persuaded by manager Hideki Kuriyama’s bold idea: try becoming a two-way player in Japan first.

From the moment he joined the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, it was understood that he would eventually move to MLB through the posting system. The question was never if — it was when.

How many years would it take?

Kuriyama once described keeping Ohtani at the “Fighters University,” suggesting perhaps four years of development. By his fourth season, Ohtani had led the team to a Japan Series championship and won league MVP.

At that point, he could have left.

Instead, he said:

“My goal right now is to fully accomplish what I haven’t yet done.”

Although he had won a championship, he felt his personal foundation — his identity as a complete player — was not yet fully established. Before challenging MLB, he wanted to strengthen his base.

The dream of playing in the majors remained.

But dreams, in Ohtani’s philosophy, are long-range.

Goals are immediate.

He did not rush toward the dream simply because it was available.

He prepared himself until he felt ready.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Shohei Ohtani: Baseball Chronicle I (Japan Edition 2013–2018), p.234