When Shohei Ohtani chose Hanamaki Higashi High School, his goal was clear: to become the best team in Japan. Although that dream was never realized, the three years he spent there shaped something far more enduring—his ability to choose what he believed was the right direction for himself.

Even now, as one of the defining players in Major League Baseball, Ohtani continues to train at a level that surprises many around him. On the road, he rarely goes out, spending most of his time practicing and managing his physical condition. Some people look at that lifestyle and wonder, “What’s fun about focusing on baseball all the time?”

Ohtani’s response is calm and matter-of-fact.

If someone can spend their days playing video games and still perform well in games, he says, then that approach is perfectly fine. It might even be enjoyable. Or it might not be.
But for him, that path does not work.

Ohtani knows that he cannot succeed without putting in the work. That understanding is not a judgment of others, nor an attempt to impose his standards on anyone else. It is simply an honest recognition of how he functions.

What is fun, and what is right, differs from person to person. Some may choose enjoyment over preparation, and Ohtani does not criticize that choice. At the same time, he does not follow it. He consistently prioritizes the direction he believes is right for him.

Even Ohtani admits that there were moments when he did not feel like practicing. What mattered, however, was that he continued to choose the path aligned with his own standards. That quiet consistency—choosing effort not because it is superior, but because it is necessary—has shaped the player he is today.

Source

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

Baseball Chronicle II: MLB Years 2018–2024 – Long Interview, p.86