When people talk about growth, they often emphasize the importance of “success experiences.”
For Shohei Ohtani, one of the most decisive success experiences of his life was his challenge to throw 160 km/h during his years at Hanamaki Higashi High School.

When Ohtani entered high school, he was already throwing in the mid-130 km/h range and possessed physical advantages essential for velocity, such as long reach and leverage.
However, head coach Hiroshi Sasaki did not immediately make him a pitcher. Instead, he placed Ohtani in right field, prioritizing physical development and stamina. Sasaki believed that if Ohtani could increase his body weight by about 20 kilograms from his initial 63 kg, reaching 160 km/h would be possible.

Ohtani himself wrote “160 km/h” on his goal-setting sheet. At first, he admits he thought the number might be unrealistic. But as his coach, trainers, and people around him repeatedly told him, “You can do it,” that belief gradually took hold.
“Before I knew it,” Ohtani recalls, “I started thinking maybe I really could.”

In the summer of his third year, during the prefectural semifinals, Ohtani finally reached 160 km/h.
That moment became a defining experience.

According to Ohtani, the joy and excitement of achieving a difficult goal never fade. Those memories accumulate, forming a foundation that makes it possible to set new goals and continue challenging oneself.
It is precisely this accumulation of experiences that enables him to pursue unprecedented paths—such as succeeding as a two-way player in Major League Baseball.

Source

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

Baseball Chronicle I: Japan Years 2013–2018, p.231