You do not need to be a sports fan to know the name of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani. Throughout Major League Baseball’s (MLB) storied history, few names are synonymous with such esteem. Ohtani is not just the greatest player alive, rather, through six seasons, his résumé rivals any athlete to have ever graced the planet.
According to CNN, in 2022, “[Ohtani] became the first player to finish in the top-15 in both home runs hit and strikeouts pitched in a season since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893.” Ohtani’s dominance as a player is matched with an equally pristine reputation. As an international player from Japan, he serves as an inspiration to many worldwide. Ohtani is a legend, and his name carries such weight.
Shockingly, according to ESPN, on March 18, Shohei Ohtani appeared on two wire transfers totaling one million dollars to an illegal California gambling operation. Ohtani’s name made international news yet again; though this time, it would reveal the most perplexing situation in professional sports.
Tisha Thompson, an investigative journalist at ESPN, reached out to Ohtani’s press team, who made his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, available for a 90-minute interview. During ESPN’s interview, Mizuhara claimed that Ohtani was covering Mizuhara’s gambling debts which had exceeded 4.5 million dollars. “Obviously, he [Ohtani] wasn't happy about it and said he would help me out to make sure I never do this again,” Mizuhara said. “He decided to pay it off for me…I want everyone to know Shohei [Ohtani] had zero involvement in betting.”
The same day Mizuhara finished his interview with ESPN, the Dodgers played the MLB season-opening game in Seoul. During the game, nothing was astray between Ohtani and Mizuhara, who were seen laughing in the dugout.
According to ESPN, after the game, anticipating imminent bad news, Mizuhara addressed the team and told them about his gambling addiction, also stating that Ohtani had paid his debts. This speech revealed the second bombshell of the scandal: Ohtani’s legal team claims it was the first time Ohtani was aware that money was missing from his account.
Hours after the team meeting, a spokesperson for Ohtani reached out to ESPN—who was about to publish a story on Mizuhara’s interview—and informed them that Ohtani was, “the victim of a massive theft, and we [Ohtani’s press team] are turning the matter over to the authorities.” The spokesperson also told ESPN that Ohtani was not cognizant of the situation because Mizuhara was “able to control information to Ohtani in his position as the interpreter.”
Following these allegations, the Dodgers fired Mizuhara.
Thompson called Mizuhara, and he contradicted much of his original interview stating, “Obviously, this is all my fault, everything I've done,” Mizuahara said. “I'm ready to face all the consequences.” However, Mizuhara would not comment on if he ever stole money from Ohtani. A few days later, Ohtani spoke to the media for the first time, saying through a recently provided interpreter, “Ippei [Mizuhara] has been stealing money from my account and has told lies.”
Despite this, the extremity of the money stolen has sparked skepticism from fans, with former professional athlete Shannon Sharpe stating, “Unless this interpreter had power of attorney, it’s hard, it’s virtually impossible to wire the kind of money that he was wiring to pay off this bookmaker.”
Thompson, however, insists that financial transactions work differently for Ohtani–who signed a 10-year, 700 million dollar contract in December of 2023–because of his wealth, “Wealthy people operate on a different universe, and he [Ohtani] is one of the wealthiest people in sports.” Thompson said. “We are dealing with rarefied air.”
MLB insider Jeff Passan also backed Ohtani’s story. “The possibility that you would entrust somebody who you have known for years, and who had, prior to this incident, proven awfully trustworthy, I don’t think is a stretch at all,” Passan said.
For Ohtani, one thing has stayed consistent through every story: he did not bet. Thus, Ohtani is likely to avoid any discipline from the MLB as these allegations unfold. However, Ohtani’s reputation is still at stake, and if he is innocent, his name should not suffer from someone else’s crimes. Therefore, to uphold the integrity of both the league and Ohtani, the MLB and federal agencies must conduct an extensive investigation.
Only time will tell what happened to the 4.5 million dollars from Ohtani’s bank account. But, in the meantime, millions of fans want to keep rooting for Ohtani’s historic greatness and hope he did nothing wrong. Ohtani’s unparalleled success on the field paired with his reportedly altruistic personality make him the icon and story that baseball needs.