Ohtani, the 'God of Baseball', admired baseball in South Korea and Korea...

*This content was translated by AI.

"A batting average of 0.833." Ohtani, the god of baseball, also admired Korea baseball. "It was a very sophisticated baseball game"

For Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers), the world's best hitter and "God of Baseball," the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) stage was very narrow. The strength of hitting 50 home runs for two consecutive seasons in the Major League Baseball (MLB) led to an unrealistic number of 0.833 batting average at Tokyo Dome. However, Ohtani, who is playing like a 'baseball cartoon character', also left an impression on the opposing team Korea.

Ohtani had five hits, two homers and six RBIs in six at-bats in two WBC group rounds (Taiwan, against South Korea / vs. Korea) until the 7th. There was only one time he was out after being at the plate eight times. In the fourth inning against Taiwan on the 6th, a sharp line drive hit to the front of the first baseman was the only hit. In fact, no pitcher completely overpowered Ohtani on the mound in Taiwan and Korea. All but one time, he got on base and didn't even have a strikeout at bat.

On the 7th, Ohtani showed a different level of baseball against South Korea. In the bottom of the third inning, he hit Ko Young-pyo's curve in his second at-bat, hitting a large home run with a batting speed of 178.3km/h and a driving distance of 124m.

On the contrary, Ohtani showed the confidence of the best hitter in the gesture of "calm down" by holding out both hands toward the Japanese dugout, which was enthusiastic about the equalizer. At the bottom of the fifth inning, Son Joo-young raised expectations by pushing the ball count to two balls and two strikes, but Ohtani made a heavy hit by pushing a fastball that fell out of the zone without effort. It was a moment when he showed that he had not only overwhelming power but also sophisticated bat control.

Ohtani's presence is unique even in the training field. The ball disappears over the fence without a doubt even if he seems to swing his arm lightly in batting training. When he turns his bat and puts the ball into the top of the right fence at Tokyo Dome, fans and reporters burst into laughter beyond surprise. Japanese national team coach Hirokazu Ibata (51) said, "Otani usually trains indoors, not outside the ground, but he also seems to want to show it to Japanese fans. That's how good the contention is. The training schedule is all up to Ohtani, he said.

However, it was Ohtani's "character" that shone more than his ability. Ohtani applauded in the dugout when Kim Hye-sung (27), a teammate of the Dodgers, fired a tiebreaking two-run home run to make it 5-5 during the game. It was encouragement sent when eyes met with Kim Hye-sung, who hit a home run and ran around the ground. Even after the game, Ohtani quietly honored the South Korean team with a nod to him.

"It was a great game that was not strange to anyone who won," Ohtani said at a press conference after the game, adding, "Korea plays very sophisticated baseball, similar to Japan." I think it's a team with a really outstanding lineup, and it was a strong and great opponent."

Ohtani, who is dominating the world baseball with his cartoon-like performance of 0.833 batting average. But what was scarier than that dreadful report card was the relaxation of the world's best player who recognized and respected his opponent.

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*This content was translated by AI.