Angels News: Halos Insider Details The Limited Media Access They Have to Shohei Ohtani
It would not be incredibly profound to claim that Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball today. At this point, it's a given that a player like Ohtani, who can pitch a shutout one day and hit a grand slam the next, only comes around once in a lifetime.
Ohtani has long been regarded as a private person when it comes to his personal life or speaking with the media. His 5.6 million Instagram followers can enjoy some insight to the star's life on the field — Ohtani was particularly prone to posting during the World Baseball Classic earlier this year — but according to Angels insider Jeff Fletcher, Ohtani is one of the hardest players to get a hold of in baseball.
"We talk to him after he pitches and occasionally after he has a good performance at the plate," Fletcher said. "And when I say occasionally, I mean four times a year."
(Via @FoulTerritoryTV)
With Ohtani set to become a free agent after this season's conclusion, he will in all likelihood play for a team that garners more national attention than the Angels.
Currently, the New York Mets are the betting favorite to land Ohtani, with the Yankees, Cubs and Dodgers following closely behind.
With a move into a bigger market, there could be more of an expectation for Ohtani to speak with the media.
"I think it's definitely going to be interesting if he goes somewhere else next year," Fletcher said. "But as of now, the Angels pretty much shield him from ... too many responsibilities media-wise, which I think is what he wants."
(Via @FoulTerritoryTV)
Ohtani is a private person who might not care about making headlines on a nightly basis. And he doesn't need to speak to the media in order to do just that, as he is producing yet another MVP-caliber season.
"I don't think he feels like it's a problem that he needs to get more attention or needs to share his story more or needs people to know about him more," Fletcher said. "I think he just wants to be the best baseball player he can be and then be left alone."
(Via @FoulTerritoryTV)
With a potential record-breaking contract soon coming Ohtani's way, there could be stipulations for more media participation in the future. However, as long as Ohtani continues to perform as he has, he can likely break the rules as much as he wants.
