"It's become a way to study communication" - When Shohei Ohtani revealed how video games helped him adapt to the MLB

Shohei Ohtani has played in the MLB since 2018. The former Nippon Baseball League superstar came over that season, making an adjustment to the league itself as well as the lifestyle of the United States. Something he credits for helping with the transition is video games.

Video games are a worldwide phenomenon, but they're particularly prominent in the United States. Even professional athletes spend a lot of time on their beloved titles, something Ohtani learned when he came over.

Following his first MLB season, Ohtani said in December 2018 that he used video games to help him learn to communicate with people:

"I go home, play games, and sleep. I didn't (play games) much in Japan, but a lot of people do (in the United States), and since we talk while we're playing, it's become a way to study communication. Just plain talking, it's fun."

Communication is key for video games, especially multiplayer ones. If Ohtani and some of his Los Angeles Angels teammates were playing Fortnite (since it was extremely popular in 2018), they'd need to talk to each other during matches.

Since Ohtani did not speak English, that would have been a challenge that they would've needed to overcome together. Learning to communicate across language barriers in a video game eventually translated to on-field success.

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When Shohei Ohtani revealed his eating habits

In that same interview, Shohei Ohtani revealed a lot about his behavior while living in the USA. He said that his habits didn't change much from when he lived in dorms in Japan for NBL seasons.

Shohei Ohtani opened up after his first Angels season

The now-Los Angeles Dodgers star also added that he eats things that are quick and easy:

"I only make what's easy, things that I can make fast. I want to spend as little time on meals as possible. I just want to eat the essential nutrients and make use of the other time. You can eat quickly when you eat alone."

He added that his lack of a driver's license and the inability to communicate in English made getting food hard, which prompted him to start making his own breakfast more often.