The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series to become back-to-back world champions. The addition of global superstar Shohei Ohtani has the Dodgers firing on all cylinders as they look to become the dynasty of the 2020s.
However, some fans have mixed feelings on the Dodgers’ two-way superstar. Some people believe that he engaged in illegal sports betting activities and placed the blame on his former translator Ippei Mizuhara.
Many of these people believe Mizuhara took the fall for Ohtani because they are close friends, so close in fact, that Ohtani kept him on payroll despite being able to speak English.
Those fans will definitely raise some eyebrows at an exchange of Ohtani’s after winning the World Series, where he speaks some English without even a hint of an accent.
"I have no idea how he pulled it off. I really believe he is the No. 1 pitcher in the whole world."
– Shohei Ohtani on @Dodgers WS MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto pic.twitter.com/PZYDWvjzIP
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 2, 2025
Fans reacted to the video on social media.
“Get this man an Oscar Award. ‘Thank you guys’ – that was the clearest English the language can get,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Bro speaks fluent English I just can’t prove it,” someone else added.
“How does nobody watch him talk with his teammates. Dude obviously speaks English. The question is why still use an interpreter,” another person added.
It’ll be interesting to see if Ohtani ever stops using an interpreter.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.