Shohei Ohtani reveals his baseball 'bestie', and it's not Teoscar Hernandez or Kike Hernandez

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani recently revealed his closest friend among his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates. Ohtani joined the clubhouse after signing a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million contract in December 2023. The 30-year-old is often seen enjoying time with several teammates, particularly Teoscar Hernandez and Kike Hernandez.

Both Kike and Teoscar share a great friendship with Ohtani, frequently engaging in lively interactions spotted by the media. However, when asked in a recent MLB interview about his ‘bestie’ in baseball, Ohtani’s answer came as a slight surprise to many.

"Bestie? Best friend... Huh... Yoshinobu. I don't know. *laughs* Maybe Roki too," he said.

After a brief moment of thought, Ohtani named his fellow countryman, star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as his closest baseball friend over Teoscar and Kike.

In the same interview, Yamamoto also responded with Ohtani’s name when asked the same question. Just like Ohtani, he also joined the Dodgers in December 2023, signing a 12-year, $325 million contract.

Along with Yamamoto, Ohtani mentioned another name as his baseball best friend, Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers’ latest signing. Both Yamamoto and Ohtani, having transitioned from Japan to the U.S., have been very helpful for Sasaki to adjust. The 23-year-old acknowledged their support, saying:

“From the first day of camp, they’ve been really helpful guiding me through things I don’t know about.”

Shohei Ohtani to face former team LA Angels in his spring training debut with Dodgers

On Friday, Shohei Ohtani is set to make his Cactus League debut for the 2025 season against his former team, the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani made his MLB debut with the Angels in 2018 and has spent six seasons with the team.

Discussing his return to the field, he said (via AP News):

“As of now, it seems like I’m on schedule. I’ve been able to work out every day and I’m really looking forward to being on time for spring training and the season.”

Shohei Ohtani is also set to return to pitching in 2025 after excelling as the Dodgers' designated hitter last season. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will not pitch in the season-opening Japan Series, with his expected return to the mound coming in May.