Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani is one of the biggest baseball stars in the United States today. However, his popularity just hits a different level when he’s back in his home country of Japan.
This is exactly what Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw experienced firsthand as the team headed to the Land of the Rising Sun to open the MLB season with back-to-back matchups against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, Ohtani was met with a hero’s welcome upon his return home.
While it did not exactly surprise Kershaw and the rest of his Dodgers teammates, Ohtani’s unmatched popularity in Japan is still something that left the former in awe.
So much so, that Kershaw had to make a bold Taylor Swift statement to describe Ohtani’s level of fame in his home country. “I think we all assume how much of a figure Shohei is,” Kershaw said ahead of the Dodgers’ Japan trip, via The Orange County Register. ”
People say he’s like The Beatles. People say he’s like Taylor Swift.” Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18), catcher Will Smith (16), pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrate after the final out of the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Beatles are obviously one of the greatest and most world-renowned musical acts of all time, but with the rise of social media over the past couple of decades, it’s hard to deny that Swift’s global reach is unlikely anything we’ve ever seen in the past.
While it may be bold, Kershaw’s comparison of Ohtani to the “Fortnight” singer does have some basis — especially in Japan where the Dodgers designated hitter is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time.
