Shohei Ohtani’s parents are Kayoko and Toru Ohtani. They have been his constant support throughout his baseball career journey. Let’s find out more about them!

Shohei Ohtani, the renowned Japanese baseball sensation, has captured global attention with his exceptional talent as both a pitcher and a hitter. Born on July 5, 1994, his parents are Kayoko and Toru Ohtani. Both of them are Japanese nationals and reside in Oshu.

Ohtani’s mother, Kayoko, who has an athletic background, has profoundly impacted his career. Meanwhile, his father, Toru, has also played a crucial role in shaping his journey into one of the world’s most extraordinary athletes, thanks to his experience as a baseball player.

Who are Shohei Ohtani’s parents?

As mentioned above, Ohtani’s parents are Kayoko and Toru Ohtani. Both of them are from athletic backgrounds. His mother, Kayoko has played badminton from an early age. On the contrary, Toru is experienced in the baseball game. Let’s learn more about his parents’ profession in detail.

What do Shohei Ohtani’s parents do?

Kayoko Ohtani was a national-level badminton player in high school. Born and raised in Japan, she was an accomplished athlete herself. Throughout her life, Kayoko has continued to play for non-professional clubs.

Moreover, her experience in sports contributed to the disciplined and focused environment in which the 4x All-Star winner was raised. She has been helping her son to reach his athletic endeavors since 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood.

Despite his immense success in baseball, the now 30-year-old pitcher still lacks the talent to defeat his mother in her badminton dominance.

In a 2017 interview with MLB Network, Ohtani shared this playful challenge and confessed, “I can’t beat her in badminton to this day… She’s tall, and she’s been playing badminton for a long time.”

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All about Shohei Ohtani’s father, Toru Ohtani

Toru Ohtani had a passion for baseball from a young age and has even played as an outfielder in the Japanese corporate leagues. His experience in baseball provided Ohtani with an early introduction to the sport, where now the Los Angeles Dodgers player excels.

From a young age, Toru would play catch with Ohtani and offer guidance on various aspects of baseball. He encouraged his youngest son to pursue his dreams and provided him with the necessary tools and knowledge to excel. Other than playing baseball, Toru has even worked at a local automobile manufacturing plant.

Toru Ohtani’s contribution to Shohei Ohtani’s baseball career

Toru has kept a notebook to guide his son with useful baseball advice to excel in his s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s.

Speaking about the same, he told Nippon; “It (notebook) covered both good and bad points. Typical entries were things like, ‘Great control up to the third inning’ or ‘Chased too many high pitches.’ We did it for several years, until Shohei was in the fifth grade or so. We ended up filling two or three notebooks in all.”

AdvertisementShohei Ohtani’s parents’ unwavering support

Ohtani’s parents have offered constant support to him since 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood. Now, while most of Ohtani’s games are far away in the distance, his proud parents made sure to attend and support his opening game with the Los Angeles Angels in March 2018, where they faced off against the Oakland Athletics.

Indeed, Ohtani’s parents’ influence is evident in the pitcher’s work ethic, humility, and dedication to his sport. Earlier this year, in July, he even received unwavering support from fans for his historic three-run homer in the MLB All-Star Game.

Additionally, in just 30 years of age, he has achieved a fruitful MLB career and has earned several achievements including being 4x All-Star, 2x AL MVP, and 2x Silver Slugger Award winner.

Shohei Ohtani’s siblings

Shohei Ohtani has an older brother and a sister. Ohtani’s brother Ryuta was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 on March 20, 1988. Similar to his younger brother, Ryuta was also keenly interested in baseball sport from a very young age. He even played in a local club team before deciding to play it professionally.

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However, he didn’t receive the same attention he should have gotten from his father to pursue the dream and thus has been only to compete as an amateur player. Toru has once admitted that he regrets not doing enough for Ryuta and his baseball career since he was busy raising his younger siblings.

Meanwhile, the 2016 Japanese Series Champion’s sister Yuka found solace in volleyball and has now been pursuing it professionally, according to some sources. She also used to accompany her father to his baseball games when she was young.

Is Shohei Ohtani Latino?

Shohei Ohtani is not Latino since his heritage is rooted in Japanese and not in Latino culture. He was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Oshu, Iwate, Japan, and began his baseball career with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Moreover, his parents are also Japanese nationals, which further suggests that he is not Latino.

All in all, Ohtani has earned a reputation as one of the most talented and versatile players in the MLB league. With that same form, fans can only expect Ohtani to reach more milestones as he continues to play his game with his team in the upcoming seasons.