One of Shohei Ohtani’s defining qualities is that he never thinks only about himself.
He constantly thinks about his team, younger players, and the future of baseball itself.
Since joining the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Ohtani has pursued the unprecedented challenge of being a two-way player. During those years, he often spoke about doing it “for the players who come after me.”
Because two-way play had almost no precedent in either Japanese or American baseball, Ohtani understood there was always a possibility of failure.
Even so, he believed that if his attempt could become a reference point for future players — even if he himself failed — then the challenge would still have meaning.
That mindset has appeared throughout his career.
When he participated in the MLB Home Run Derby for the first time, he said he hoped it would encourage more people to watch baseball.
Before the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he also spoke about wanting children to experience the excitement and emotion of the tournament, just as he once had while watching Ichiro and Japan’s national team.
Great athletes often become stronger when they fight not only for themselves, but also for the people they inspire and represent.
Ohtani certainly wants to become the greatest baseball player in the world.
But alongside that ambition is another motivation:
to contribute to baseball itself,
and to inspire the next generation.
That is likely one reason he continues to push himself so relentlessly.
So when Ohtani announced his decision to join the Dodgers and spoke not only about the team, but also about “the world of baseball,” the comment felt unmistakably true to who he is.
His goals have always extended beyond personal achievement.
He wants baseball itself to grow because of his presence.
And until the final day of his career, he intends to keep working toward that purpose.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Chasing Shohei Ohtani: A Beat Reporter’s 10-Year Soulful Notebook, p.469