In Photos: Shohei Ohtani, from baseball loving boy in Japan to MLB superstar

Shohei Ohtani, then around 2 years old, is seen on playground equipment in this photo provided by his father Toru Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani is seen with his father Toru during a kindergarten sports day in this photo provided by Toru Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani plays as a pitcher for a junior high school baseball team, based in the city of Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, in this photo provided by his father Toru Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani, in his second year at Hanamaki Higashi High School, plays as the ace pitcher on his team in a prefectural baseball tournament in the city of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, on May 25, 2011. Ohtani led his team to win the tournament. (Mainichi/Kazuhiro Tahara)

Shohei Ohtani, of Hanamaki Higashi High School baseball club, slides into home plate but is tagged out during the National High School Baseball Championship at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in the city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, on Aug. 7, 2011. (Mainichi/Ai Kawahira)

Shohei Ohtani, center, celebrates with his teammates from Hanamaki Higashi High School baseball club in the city of Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, after the team was invited to the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament on Jan. 27, 2012. (Mainichi/Toshiki Miyama)

Shohei Ohtani is seen during a training session for the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament at an indoor ground at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in the city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, on March 17, 2012. (Mainichi/Yoshiya Goto)

Shohei Ohtani pitches as the ace for Hanamaki Higashi High School baseball club during the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in the city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, on March 21, 2012. (Mainichi/Rei Kubo)

Shohei Ohtani, the ace pitcher and top slugger for Hanamaki Higashi High School baseball club, hits a home run during the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in the city of Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, in western Japan, on March 21, 2012. (Mainichi/Ryoichi Mochizuki)

Shohei Ohtani, center left, and other selected members are seen at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture, in western Japan, while on their way to participate in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in South Korea on Aug. 28, 2012. (Mainichi/Minoru Kanazawa)

Shohei Ohtani shows his signature on a document to apply to become a professional baseball player, at Hanamaki Higashi High School in the city of Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, on Sept. 18, 2012. (Mainichi/Yoshihito Asano)

Shohei Ohtani, left, accompanied by his father Toru, announces his intention to play in Major League Baseball at Hanamaki Higashi High School in the city of Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, on Oct. 21, 2012. (Mainichi/Ikuko Ando)

Shohei Ohtani shows mixed emotions after being drawn by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the Nippon Professional Baseball draft despite his intention to play in Major League Baseball in the city of Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, on Oct. 25, 2012. (Mainichi/Masahiro Ogawa)

Shohei Ohtani, second from left, and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters manager Hideki Kuriyama, fourth from left, are seen after negotiations for Ohtani to join the Nippon Professional Baseball team, in the city of Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, on Nov. 26, 2012. (Mainichi/Yoshihito Asano)

Shohei Ohtani, center, smiles in his Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters uniform as manager Hideki Kuriyama puts a cap on his head at a hotel in Sapporo, in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, on Dec. 25, 2012. (Mainichi/Maiko Umeda)

Shohei Ohtani poses with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters farm team mascot Cubby in front of the team's dormitory in the city of Kamagaya, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, on Jan. 9, 2013. (Mainichi/Yoshihiro Ezure)

Shohei Ohtani, of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, gets his first professional hit during the opening game of the regular Nippon Professional Baseball season at MetLife Dome in the city of Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, on March 29, 2013. (Mainichi/Masaru Nishimoto)

Shohei Ohtani is congratulated by Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters manager Hideki Kuriyama after capturing his first win as a professional pitcher at Sapporo Dome in Sapporo, in northern Japan, on June 1, 2013. (Mainichi/Maiko Umeda)

Shohei Ohtani plays as a starting pitcher for the Japan team during the Japan All Star Series against an MLB team on Nov. 18, 2014. (Mainichi/Koichiro Tezuka)

Shohei Ohtani attends his coming-of-age ceremony in the city of Oshu, Iwate Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, on Jan. 11, 2015. (Mainichi/Yujiro Futamura)

Shohei Ohtani smiles with a cake presented by the media after a press conference to announce the renewal of his contract with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at the team's office in Sapporo, in northern Japan, on Dec. 5, 2016. (Mainichi/Kan Takeuchi)

Shohei Ohtani displays his Los Angeles Angels uniform to fans of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Sapporo Dome, in Sapporo, in northern Japan, on Dec. 25, 2017. (Mainichi/Kan Takeuchi)

Shohei Ohtani, right, receives a large crepe during a departure ceremony just before leaving for the United States at Narita International Airport near Tokyo on Feb. 1, 2018. (Mainichi/Yasuo Ota)

Shohei Ohtani poses in front of images of himself at an exhibition about press photos of the year at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Store in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Dec. 18, 2018. (Mainichi/Akihiro Ogomori)

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is seen after losing in the first round of the MLB All Star Home Run Derby at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, on July 12, 2021. (Mainichi/Hojin Fukunaga)

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is seen on the purple carpet for the MLB All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, on July 13, 2021. (Mainichi/Hojin Fukunaga)

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is surrounded by the press after playing in the MLB All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, on July 13, 2021. (Mainichi/Hojin Fukunaga)

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is seen during an online press conference after missing out on his 10th win of the season as a pitcher on Sept. 26, 2021. (Mainichi/Hojin Fukunaga)

The Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani is seen ahead of his news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, on Nov. 15, 2021. (Mainichi/Yuki Miyatake)

The Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani speaks during a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, on Nov. 15, 2021. (Mainichi/Yuki Miyatake)