Shohei Ohtani has had quite the offseason. In the wake of signing the most lucrative contract in American sports history with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it took Ohtani just two months to add a ring to his finger — a wedding ring, that is.
According to a post that Ohtani made on Instagram, the Japanese megastar has gotten married.
In the post's caption, Ohtani wrote, "To all my friends and fans throughout , I have an announcement to make : Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married . I am excited for what is to come and thank you for your support ."
What makes this announcement even more fascinating is that Ohtani is notoriously private about his personal life. In fact, US sports media doesn't even know who Ohtani's wife is.
The only relationship that Ohtani is comfortable showing to the world is the one he has with his dog, named Dekopin (Decoy in English), who took the baseball world by storm during Ohtani's virtual MVP Award ceremony back in November 2023.
In fact, the only face that Ohtani elected to include in his Instagram post is that of Decoy, whose be found in the photo's bottom right corner.
So although we don't know much about Ohtani's bride, we do know that she's got quite the catch on her hands. Given that Ohtani will be making $2 million per year to play for the Dodgers from 2024 to 2033, then will receive his $68 million deferred money (without interest) each year from 2034 to 2043 — not to mention the many other endorsements that Ohtani is profiting from — Mrs. Ohtani won't have to worry about penny-pinching.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are opening their season on March 20, against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea. Perhaps Ohtani's wife will be in attendance — yet, it might be hard to tell who she is, considering the sea of Ohtani jerseys that will surely be seen around the stadium.
