Shohei Ohtani’s six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels were extraordinary.

During that span, he won two MVP awards and completely transformed modern baseball through his success as a two-way player. Beginning in 2021, his numbers seemed almost unreal:

• 9 wins and 46 home runs
• 15 wins and 34 home runs
• 10 wins and 44 home runs while winning the home run title

Very few players in baseball history had ever dominated both as a pitcher and hitter at the same time.

And yet, despite those achievements, some people within the baseball world questioned whether Ohtani’s success was partly a product of his environment.

Because the Angels were not a championship-caliber team, critics argued that Ohtani had been allowed unusual freedom. Some believed that if he joined a historic powerhouse like the Yankees, Red Sox, or Dodgers — organizations where winning is expected every year — he would no longer be able to perform so freely.

The assumption was simple:

Under greater pressure, his numbers would decline.

But Ohtani never avoided pressure.

When introducing himself as a Dodger, he addressed that challenge directly:

“I want to challenge myself even more. With the Dodgers, I’ll face new and even greater difficulties — and I want to face them. I’m already prepared for that.”

That statement perfectly captured Ohtani’s mentality.

For him, success is not something to protect.

It is something to test.

With the Dodgers, division titles were considered the minimum expectation. The real standard was winning the World Series. Every season carried enormous pressure, scrutiny, and responsibility.

But instead of fearing that environment, Ohtani welcomed it.

He wanted the challenge.

He wanted to prove himself under the brightest spotlight and the heaviest expectations.

And in the end, he did exactly that.

Ohtani not only won another MVP award, but also helped lead the Dodgers to the world championship they had desperately pursued.

For Ohtani, greatness has never been about staying comfortable.
It has always been about stepping willingly into harder situations and continuing to grow.

Source

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

SHO-TIME 2.0: Shohei Ohtani’s Challenge to Become World Champion, p.228