Justin Verlander's brother Ben struggles to keep 'crazy' Shohei Ohtani obsession under wraps before moving in with girlfriend

Shohei Ohtani is not only one of the most popular baseball players in the world right now, but one of the most popular athletes in general. The three-time MVP has become a true global sensation thanks to his ability to continue surprising fans with what he is able to do on a baseball field.

The Los Angeles Dodgers phenom has continued to see his star rise over the years and has cemented himself at the top of the hill. After it was announced that Ohtani was signing with the Dodgers last offseason, murals of the superstar's face emerged all over Los Angeles before he even played a game.

Despite Shohei Ohtani having fans across the globe, there may be no bigger fan of his than Justin Verlander's brother, Ben Verlander. An analyst for Fox Sports MLB, Ben Verlander has been one of Ohtani's biggest supporters, so much so that it became a bit of a punchline on social media. While some celebrities might take offense to it, Ben played into the joke, standing by his fandom.

In his latest post on social media, Verlander shared a photo of a number of different MLB shirts stacked into two neat piles. Verlander informed his followers that he is moving in with his girlfriend and is unsure how to explain his obsession with the two-way superstar.

"In the process of moving in with my girlfriend," Verlander wrote. "How do I tell her that I have a million baseball shirts and half of them are Shohei Ohtani related? (The right side is the whole Shohei pile. There are many other piles of other players. It’s not that crazy. Right…?)"

It is refreshing to see Ben Verlander lean into the ongoing joke about his Ohtani fandom instead of getting hostile or pushing back at his followers. Although Verlander might be in the public eye thanks to his role as an MLB analyst, it's safe to say that he is not the only Shohei Ohtani superfan out there considering that there are always massive crowds waiting to see him wherever he goes.

Ben Verlander faced some backlash from calling Shohei Ohtani the most important signing in Los Angeles Dodgers history

There is no denying the talent that Ohtani possesses as he became the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

When it was announced that he was joining the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, it was a baseball-altering move, one that Verlander called the most important in club history.

Ohtani joining the Dodgers was important from a roster standpoint, as well as the fact that he was arguably the best player in baseball. However, Verlander faced some backlash from fans over his comments about Ohtani being the most important signing.

Fans pointed out that the Dodgers' signing of Jackie Robinson was not only the most important in club history but in MLB history as well because the talented infielder helped break baseball's color barrier in 1947. Regardless of everything Shohei Ohtani accomplishes with the Dodgers, Jackie Robinson's impact on sports history is legendary.