During the Major League Baseball season, Shohei Ohtani’s performances are widely covered in Japanese news and variety programs, often taking up significant airtime.

Some have even jokingly referred to it as “Ohtani harassment” due to the sheer volume of coverage.
Yet despite that, countless people continue to follow his performances closely—celebrating his successes and feeling the ups and downs alongside him.

Even those who previously had little to no interest in baseball have found themselves drawn in by Ohtani.

In that sense, the phenomenon is less excessive than it is inevitable—and for fans, something to be appreciated.

Partly due to this overwhelming popularity in Japan, the 2024 World Series saw not only an increase in viewership in the United States, but also a significant surge in audiences overseas, including Japan and Taiwan.

What makes Ohtani unique is that many of his fans were not originally baseball fans at all.

They are drawn to how exciting and visually compelling his play is, as well as to the admiration for his character as a person.

Back in his rookie season in the majors, Ohtani expressed this ideal:

“Ideally, even people who don’t know baseball would watch and think, ‘That’s nice… that’s beautiful… that’s cool… he looks like he’s about to hit something.’ That would be the best.”

Even for those unfamiliar with the game, Ohtani’s presence on the field is captivating.

He is no longer just a baseball player—
he is becoming a global athlete who transcends the sport itself.

Source

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

Following Shohei Ohtani: A Reporter’s 10-Year Chronicle, p.205