Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani revealed Thursday that he is now married, but kept his wife’s identity secret.
The Los Angeles Dodgers player, who signed a $700 million contract with the team in December, said not only was he starting a new chapter in my career, but I was also starting a new life with someone from my native Japan , which is very special. to me and I wanted everyone to know that I’m married now.’
“I’m excited for what’s to come and thank you for your support,” the 29-year-old said in an Instagram post that racked up nearly 1.5 million likes in just one hour.
Ohtani, who won his second American League Most Valuable Player award in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels last year, posted a photo of his dog at the bottom of the post, but no photo of his wife. Ohtani is notoriously private.
“The two of us (and our dog) will support each other and we hope to move forward together with all our fans,” he also wrote in Japanese.
Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani announced Thursday that he is now married
Ohtani recently signed a ten-year contract worth $700 million for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Ohtani said in a statement that he is starting a new chapter in his playing career and his own life
He added that he and his wife were “still immature in many ways, but we would appreciate your kind support.”
Ohtani, nicknamed ‘Sho-Time’, has achieved stratospheric fame in Japan and beyond.
Known for his skills as a pitcher and hitter, he helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic last year.
Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels for free agency last year after failing to reach the MLB playoffs.
After weeks of frenzied speculation, he joined the Dodgers in December. His ten-year deal worth $700 million was the richest contract in the history of North American sports.
He made his preseason debut with the Dodgers on Tuesday, hitting a home run in his new team’s victory over the Chicago White Sox.
In his Instagram post, Ohtani said he would hold a press conference on Friday, asking the media not to approach his wife or her family members.
Born in northern Japan, Ohtani was a high school baseball prodigy who initially wanted to skip the national league and go straight to the majors.
Instead, he signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013 and spent five seasons there before joining the Angels.
Ohtani’s every move makes headlines in Japan, and his achievements are a matter of national pride.
His wedding announcement was quickly spread across the Japanese media.