For the Los Angeles Angels’ pitchers and catchers, spring training officially started at the team’s training facility Wednesday. But for the team’s two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who has been hitting and throwing in Arizona all month, the preparations for the most important year of his career began long ago.
In two weeks, Ohtani will leave Angels camp to join Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic, which is returning for the first time since 2017 after a pandemic-induced delay. And no matter where he goes in the world, Ohtani, 28, is followed by a cloud of intrigue — even larger than the one that has trailed him throughout his career.
After this season, Ohtani, a unicorn in the sport given his standout abilities as both a pitcher and hitter, will be among the most coveted free agents in baseball history. So, as Ohtani, who was named the 2021 American League MVP, began what may be his final spring training in an Angels uniform, he answered questions Thursday about his future but provided little insight during a 30-minute news conference in English and Japanese.