When people reflect on their performance, they usually focus on moments of failure.

Mistakes, losses, and poor results naturally invite analysis and self-criticism. Success, on the other hand, often brings relief. Many people are satisfied simply because the outcome was good.

Even if the success came from luck.

Shohei Ohtani approaches things differently.

For Ohtani, the quality of execution matters more than the outcome itself.

He is known for being extremely particular about the pitches he throws. In fact, he once said plainly that if a batter hits the ball, then it simply wasn’t his best pitch.

That confidence reflects a belief that when he executes a pitch exactly as intended, it should be extremely difficult to hit.

Because of that standard, even successful results are not always satisfying.

There are times when a pitcher gets an out with a pitch that missed the intended location or movement. The result may still be good—the batter is retired—but Ohtani does not treat that as success.

Instead, he sees it as a missed opportunity to improve.

“If I accept getting outs with pitches I didn’t execute the way I intended,” he says,
“I’d lose the chance to grow.”

For Ohtani, lucky outcomes are not victories.

They are reminders to examine what really happened.

The players who continue improving over time are not only those who reflect on failure.

They are the ones who reflect even after success.

Because growth often hides inside the moments when things appear to go right.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese publication and is not currently available in English.

Number Magazine, Issue 881, p.19