Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani revealed on Thursday that he is now married but kept the identity of his wife a mystery.
The Los Angeles Dodgers player, who signed a $700million contract with the team in December, said he was beginning not only ‘a new chapter in my career but I also 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,’ the 29-year-old said in an Instagram post that racked up almost 1.5million likes in just one hour.
Ohtani, who won his second American League Most Valuable Player award in six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels last year, included a picture of his dog at the bottom of the post but no picture of his wife.
Ohtani is notoriously private and despite the huge interest in his life, shares very little about how he spends his time away from baseball. His Instagram account, which was 7.4million followers, has just 54 posts and they are all about the sport.
Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani revealed on Thursday that he is now married
Ohtani recently signed a record $700million, 10-year Los Angeles Dodgers contract
Ohtani, pictured with Ronald Acuna Jr of the Atlanta Braves, is a notoriously private figure
‘The two of us (and our dog) will support each other and we hope to move forward together with all of our fans,’ Ohtani also wrote in Japanese.
He added that he and his wife were ‘still immature in many ways, but we would appreciate your kind support’.
Ohtani, nicknamed ‘Sho-Time’, has achieved stratospheric fame in Japan and abroad.
Known for his skills as a pitcher as well as a batter, he helped Japan win last year’s World Baseball Classic.
Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels last year for free agency after failing to reach the MLB playoffs.
Following weeks of frenzied speculation, he joined the Dodgers in December. His 10-year deal worth $700 million was the richest contract in the history of North American sport.
He made his Dodgers pre-season debut on Tuesday, smashing a home run in his new team’s win over the Chicago White Sox.
In his Instagram post, Ohtani said he would hold a press conference on Friday, asking the media to refrain from approaching his wife or her family members.
Ohtani said in a statement he is starting a new chapter in his playing career and his own life
Born in northern Japan, Ohtani was a high-school baseball prodigy who initially wanted to skip the domestic league and head straight to the majors.
Instead, he signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013 and spent five seasons there before joining the Angels.
Ohtani’s every move is headline news in Japan, with his achievements a matter of national pride.
His marriage announcement was quickly splashed across Japanese media outlets.