Shohei Ohtani is the Only Player With This Wholesome Tradition

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Dodgers’ superstar designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is currently second in the MLB with 22 home runs on the season.

Shohei Ohtani is beloved for his unparalleled baseball skill, but his seemingly kind and innocent personality has also been a key reason why he has endeared himself to baseball fans worldwide.

On Sunday night, the legend of Ohtani’s humanity grew. During the ESPN broadcast of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees, network analyst Buster Olney shared that Ohtani is the only player in all of MLB to greet the umpires before every single at-bat.

Shohei Ohtani is the only player in MLB that says hi to the ump before every at-bat, umpires told @Buster_ESPN.

“Umpires have told me Ohtani is the only hitter in the big leagues who will say hi to them before every plate appearance,” Olney said.

Olney went on to explain that while many hitters greet the umpire and catcher during their first time up to bat in any given game, Ohtani is the only player who does so every single time he steps up to the plate, whether it is the first time or the fourth time in any game.

He said that Ohtani addresses the umpires by name each time as well.

That tradition says a lot about Ohtani’s trademark kindness and friendliness, but also his consistency, which teammates such as Tommy Edman have lauded.

Ohtani Shined This Weekend Versus New York

During the Dodgers’ three-game series this past weekend against the New York Yankees, Ohtani had four hits in 13 at-bats including 2 home runs in the series opener. The two homers tied a Dodger record for the most home runs in a calendar month; Shohei tallied 15 bombs in May.

He also came around to score four runs during the weekend.

His strong offensive performance helped the Dodgers win the series, winning two out of the three games against New York.

That included an 18-2 beatdown on Saturday May 31 during which Ohtani had another viral moment – getting caught on camera dozing off in the dugout!

Shohei Ohtani dozed off during the Dodgers 18-2 blowout win over the Yankees

Sunday, June 1 wasn’t as strong of an outing for Ohtani, who went 0-for-4 at the plate. It wasn’t a great day for the Dodgers in general, who dropped the series finale 7-3.

The series represented a rematch of the 2024 World Series, when the Dodgers took down the Yankees in five games. These two juggernauts won’t face each other again this season – if they have another rematch, it will have to come in the Fall Classic once again.

Ohtani Seems Close to A Pitching Return

Shohei Ohtani also may be very close to returning to the pitcher’s mound for the first time since 2023, when he was still a member of the Los Angeles Angels.

On Saturday May 31, Ohtani threw 29 pitches in simulated at-bats versus Dodgers minor leaguers, before Los Angeles’ game versus the Yankees later that night.

The Sho before the show, vol. 2 — Shohei Ohtani is facing hitters before tonight’s game at Dodger Stadium.

MLB.com reported that Ohtani could be an option to start games for the Dodgers as soon as after the All-Star break.

Dodger fans are eager to see Ohtani pitch in a Dodger uniform for the first time, further growing his legendary status in the “City of Angels”.

Until then, Ohtani’s lore will continue to grow through wholesome stories like the one Olney shared on ESPN.

Ethan Inman is a sports journalist covering the San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants and Las Vegas Raiders for Heavy sports. He also co-hosts a college football podcast for The Voice of College Football, and writes about the NBA and MLB. He has previously covered the USC Trojans, the NHL, college baseball, and the intersection of sports and popular culture for other publications. He is based in the greater Los Angeles area. More about Ethan Inman