Organizations are often described as businesses that must constantly adapt to change.

Markets evolve.
Customer preferences shift.
Technologies advance.

Success requires the ability to adapt—but adaptation also carries a risk. If a company changes the wrong things, even well-intended adjustments can lead to unexpected setbacks.

The same principle applies to athletes.

Shohei Ohtani experienced this lesson firsthand during the early years of his professional career.

In his second season with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Ohtani achieved a historic milestone: double-digit wins as a pitcher and double-digit home runs as a hitter, something not seen since Babe Ruth.

The following season, 2015, became a breakthrough year for him as a pitcher. He served as the Opening Day starter and finished the season with 15 wins and 5 losses, a 2.24 ERA, and the titles for most wins and highest winning percentage.

Yet while his pitching flourished, his batting results were disappointing.
In 109 at-bats, he recorded only 22 hits and five home runs—numbers far below expectations.

Looking back, Ohtani recognized the reason.

That season, he had experimented with changes that ignored many of the technical foundations he had built since childhood.

Through that experience, he realized something essential.

Improvement does not always mean abandoning the past.

There are techniques, habits, and philosophies that form the core of a player’s style—the foundation upon which all progress is built.

At the same time, growth still requires experimentation and innovation.

The real challenge lies in understanding which elements must remain constant and which should evolve.

For Ohtani, learning that distinction became another step in his development as both a pitcher and a hitter.

Source

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

Shohei Ohtani: Baseball Youth I — Japan Edition 2013–2018, p.193