"I just took those words to heart" - When Shohei Ohtani highlighted the key role Mike Trout played in his Angels move

The Angels organization saw the skill set that the two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani possessed and ultimately signed him to a major league deal in December 2017, which saw him spend six seasons on the West Coast at Anaheim.

His performances in the past six seasons have sent some major shockwaves across the baseball world, earning him the title of the greatest two-way player ever to have played baseball.

Fast-track to 2023. Ohtani signed the biggest contract in the history of US sports with the LA Dodgers, which stood at a whopping $700 million over ten years.

Ohtani struck up a major bond with OF Mike Trout, who had signed the biggest free agent contract with the Angels in 2019. Ohtani credits his move to the United States to Trout and had previously stated the following:

"He basically explained to me how great the Angels were, how they have a great clubhouse, and how he would enjoy having me here. And I just took those words to heart and I’m here," Ohtani said in 2018 (h/t ESPN).

The duo played some amazing games together for the Halos, and both have many clutch hits credited to them. While Ohtani was certain to hit free agency after declining player and club options with the Angels' organization this offseason, rumors about Mike Trout getting traded surfaced.

This was due to the lack of silverware in Anaheim during all those years, but LA was too rigid not to trade Trout this offseason.

In 2023, Shohei, representing Team Japan, went against Trout, who was representing Team USA, in the finals of the World Baseball Classic.

With two outs and the last batter in at the bottom of the ninth, Team Japan needed one strikeout while the USA required a home run to tie the game and send it to the extra innings, but Shotime called the game after catching a nasty sweeper to Trout, which struck him out, and Team Japan became a three-time WBC champion.

Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout share an unimaginable bond

Since his days in the Japanese league, Shohei Ohtani has been cherished by many as a dear teammate or friend. The two-way phenomenon frequently entails developing a lasting bond and friendship with new colleagues; see Lars Nootbaar, for example. Among the group, one friend in particular was essential in fostering a sense of brotherhood and team dynamics at his first ballclub, the LA Angels.

Ohtani met Mike Trout six years ago in the Angels spring training camp. Trout quickly became accustomed to his teammate's endearing demeanor, resulting in one of the most uncommon player, pair, and friend relationships on and off the field.

Trout and Ohtani embracing each other post-ShoTime's home run

Trout was the first to welcome Ohtani with open arms, according to the book "Shohei Ohtani: The Amazing Story of Baseball's Two-Way Japanese Superstar." Ohtani and Trout used to train together at Angel Park, and Shohei used to playfully call shotgun while Trout drove a golf cart.