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Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani revealed Thursday that he is now married, but kept his wife’s identity a secret.
The Los Angeles Dodgers player said he was starting not only ‘a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but also… I started a new life with someone from my home country, Japan, who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to do it.’ “I know I’m married now.”
“I’m excited for what’s to come and thank you for your support,” the 29-year-old said in an Instagram post that racked up nearly 1.5 million likes in just one hour.
Ohtani, who won his second American League MVP award in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels last year, included a photo of his dog at the end of the post.
“The two of us (and our dog) will support each other and hope to move forward together with all our fans,” he also wrote in Japanese.
Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani revealed Thursday that he is now married
Ohtani recently signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani said in a statement that he is beginning a new chapter in his playing career and in his own life.
He added that he and his wife were “still immature in many ways, but we would appreciate your kind support.”
Ohtani, nicknamed ‘Sho-Time’, has achieved stratospheric fame in Japan and abroad.
Known for his skills as a pitcher and hitter, he helped Japan win last year’s World Baseball Classic.
Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels last year as a free agent after failing to make the MLB playoffs.
After weeks of frantic speculation, he joined the Dodgers in December. His 10-year contract worth $700 million was the richest contract in the history of North American sports.
He made his Dodgers preseason debut on Tuesday, hitting a home run in his new team’s victory over the Chicago White Sox.
In his Instagram post, Ohtani said he would hold a press conference on Friday and ask the media to refrain from approaching his wife or family members.
Born in northern Japan, Ohtani was a high school baseball prodigy who initially wanted to skip the national league and go straight to the majors.
Instead, he signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013 and spent five seasons there before joining the Angels.
Ohtani’s every move is front-page news in Japan, and his achievements are a source of national pride. Her marriage announcement was quickly spread by the Japanese media.