Ippei Mizuhara was more than just an interpreter for Shohei Ohtani.
The 39-year-old has been a ubiquitous presence in Ohtani’s life since his move to the major leagues ahead of the 2018 season. The pair moved through MLB circles as if joined at the hip, with Ohtani in the spotlight as the global superstar and Mizuhara off to the side as his conduit to the English-speaking world.