In the 2023 World Baseball Classic final, Shohei Ohtani struck out teammate Mike Trout to win the title for Japan, a cinematic microcosm of a career built on defying limits. Raised by athletic parents in Iwate, he rejected the big-city powerhouse path, scrubbed toilets at his local high school, and threatened to bypass Japanese pro ball entirely before the Nippon-Ham Fighters gave him a two-way roadmap.

Ohtani translated his dual dominance to MLB despite repeated elbow and knee surgeries, overhauling his mechanics and routines to answer critics who insisted specialization was the only path.

• Forced Japan's league to rewrite its Best Nine ballot to honor him as both pitcher and hitter
• Won AL Rookie of the Year in 2018 and multiple unanimous MVP awards in both leagues
• Hit 46 home runs and struck out 156 batters in hi ...