Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani recently became a father to a second child, with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, giving birth.
Ohtani and Mamiko welcomed a baby girl a year ago, marking the first addition to their family since Decoy, their dog.
Now, Ohtani revealed that he added a boy to their family, whom he described as “cute,” per the California Post’s Dylan Hernandez.
He has been fully up-front about the lack of sleep that lies ahead for a father of a newborn, having some experience from last year with “blissful sleep deprivation.”
With Ohtani now a father, naturally, there will be questions about whether he follows in his father’s footsteps and takes a liking to baseball.
He was asked whether his son could become interested in baseball by watching Ohtani play in MLB, but rather than put any pressure on his baby boy, Ohtani made it clear that he only wants his child to live their life independent of a parent’s expectations.
“I wonder. I don’t know how long I can play. For now, I want to do my best until this contract (with the Dodgers) expires,” Ohtani said.
“I think children should decide their own futures. I just want to do my best at what I do.”
Ohtani missed only one game on paternity leave, returning to action quickly on the Dodgers’ current road trip. Still, he could not hide his anxiety about being with his family.
“But I had to come on a road trip right away, so I think I’m more worried than anything,” Ohtani said.
How has fatherhood changed Ohtani?
Manager Dave Roberts joked that, with Ohtani’s newfound parenthood in 2025, the Dodgers might see more power in his swing.
“‘Dad strength’ is real,” Roberts said before the game. “It’s amazing how hard Shohei hits the ball now. So now that he is a father, we might see some 120 [mph] exit velos off the bat. Something unprecedented.”
What really changed for Ohtani was his drawing inspiration from his fatherhood, which took the form of a children’s book released over the offseason about his dog, Decoy.
“The initial idea was, basically, I had my daughter coming soon. So timing-wise, I felt it was a nice time to maybe be able to read her a book about my story, as well as our dog Decoy’s story,” Ohtani said.
Possibly another book could be coming this year, or at the very least, a new perspective from the Dodger star who has a boy to raise.
2 Responses
Shohei will be a great father. I don’t think he will lose much sleep with the new arrival. I’m sure he can afford the best nanny money can buy.Thats not a “slam” it’s just a fact. Congratulations to Mamiko and Shohei, you are blessed.
Shohei will be a great father. I don’t think he will lose much sleep with the new arrival. I’m sure he can afford the best nanny money can buy.Thats not a “slam” it’s just a fact. Congratulations to Mamiko and Shohei, you are blessed.