"Even as a child it was clear to me" - Shohei Ohtani reveals in documentary what attracted him to MLB in the first place

Shohei Ohtani has always aimed for the MLB. Long before he was a $700 million superstar, he was a kid with a dream and a knack for baseball. Even as a young child, he knew where he wanted to get to. With respect to the Nippon Baseball League or Korean Baseball Organization, Ohtani always had eyes on the MLB.

He said in the Beyond the Dream documentary:

"Even as a kid it was obvious. The players in the MLB were on a different level. Watching them on TV and other medias - Ichiro-san, Matsui-san, before them were Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., the list goes."

Ohtani cited other superstars from his childhood. Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Hideki Matsui and more inspired him to strive to reach the top. Matsui and Ichiro followed a similar path to the MLB.

He continued:

"Even as a child, it was clear to me that MLB was the place for top-tier baseball. I've always been the type to take up challenges. I was inevitably drawn to see how far I could make it in the MLB."

At a young age, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar could see the talent level in the MLB as it compared to other leagues. He knew then that that was where he wanted to one day play. Then, he went and did it and is doing it in a way no other player before him has.

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Shohei Ohtani achieved his dreams

There was a lot of fanfare once Shohei Ohtani decided to embark on his dream-confirming journey. In 2018, he posted to the MLB and he was on the verge of doing what the younger version of himself always wanted.

Shohei Ohtani is an LA hero

Eventually signing with the Los Angeles Angels, his unique skillset stood out. Nevertheless, not many could have predicted what came next. Ohtani became an elite pitcher and one of the sport's best hitters.

He then went on to destroy the record for the biggest contract in US sports history with his $700 million deal from the Dodgers. He was always viewed as a good player, but not to this extent.