Can Shohei Ohtani speak English? Why Japanese star was criticized by Stephen A. Smith over his command of the language

Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is a popular baseball player. He is an excellent pitcher, hitter and outfielder, who has quickly established himself as one of the best in the business.

Shohei Ohtani, who is Japanese, was criticized by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith because he used a translator to speak English. According to Stephen. A. Smith, his inability to speak English made it impossible for him to reach out to more people. Since English is America’s national language, most of his fans did not understand what he was saying.

Ohtani has since responded to Smith's criticism.

“If I could speak English, I would speak English. But I came here to play baseball, at the end of the day, and I felt that my game on the field could be my way of communicating with the people.”

The 28-year-old added that, in Japan, English is taught to meet a certain standard and not for the people to become fluent English speakers.

Shohei Ohtani's career

Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts after pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 28, 2022 in Anaheim, California.

Ohtani has quickly established himself as one of the best baseball players in recent times. He made his MLB debut in 2018 for the Los Angeles Angels.

In the 2018 Los Angeles session, Ohtani made six strikeouts in six innings and allowed three runs. In 2019, Ohtani scored .505 with 18 home runs, 62 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 106 games. In 2020, he became an All-Star in the business. In 2021, he was criticized by Stephen A. Smith for his lack of expertise in the English language.