When actress Audrey Hepburn traveled for long film shoots, it is said that she brought more than 50 boxes of belongings with her, transforming hotel rooms into spaces that felt like home.

Shohei Ohtani took the complete opposite approach.

When he moved from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to the Los Angeles Angels, he brought only the bare essentials. While he could always set up his living environment later, what stood out was his mindset from the very beginning.

In February 2018, as he headed to Arizona for spring training, Ohtani surprised those around him with a simple statement:

“I came with the bare minimum. If I have my passport, my baseball gear, and the right mindset, I believe I can do anything.”

For many people, whether it’s daily life, a training camp, or a long trip, there is always a tendency to bring more—seeking comfort and convenience.

But for Ohtani, none of that was essential.

As long as he had the tools to play baseball and the mindset to give his best, that was enough.

He devoted most of his time to baseball and rest, and relied on team-provided meals without concern for luxury or excess.

His approach reflects a powerful philosophy: eliminate distractions, focus only on what truly matters, and trust that everything else will fall into place.

Source

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

Tracking Shohei Ohtani: A Beat Writer’s 10-Year Chronicle, p.164