Shohei Ohtani Says Ippei Mizuhara Theft Cost Him More Than Money

Now that the most scandalous headlines are receding, the Dodgers' star says he's sleeping better

May 14, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit his 12th home run of the season Tuesday night against the San Francisco Giants. / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Some people function well on little sleep, others not so much.

In the case of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, a bad night's sleep merely means the difference between hitting like the best player in baseball rather than the best player in baseball history.

Ohtani was mostly praised for his work as the Dodgers' designated hitter in March and April. He batted .336 with a .399 on-base percentage and .618 slugging percentage across his first 32 games of the season. Although he struggled at times with runners in scoring position, Ohtani did more than enough overall to justify his (mostly deferred) 2024 salary.

Through his first 10 games in May, Ohtani has found room for improvement where most mortals hit a ceiling. Including Tuesday night's game against the San Francisco Giants, Ohtani is slashing .447/.523/.895 this month, with five home runs and 11 RBIs. Consider that teammate Mookie Betts — who won the National League Player of the Month Award for March/April — hit only six home runs in three times as many games when the calendar turned to May.

Ohtani's secret? A good night's sleep, at least in part.

"Initially I really didn't have much sleep obviously with the things that were happening," he told reporters Tuesday through interpreter Will Ireton, "but now I've been able to really have a pretty consistent routine, been able to sleep well, so I think those are leading to good results."

The things that were happening — it case it wasn't obvious — pertained to the ongoing fallout from the Ippei Mizuhara gambling scandal. Ohtani's longtime friend and interpreter stands accused by the U.S. Department of Justice of stealing more than $16 million over the course of three years from Ohtani's personal bank account.

The Dodgers fired Mizuhara after their first game of the season, when Mizuhara confessed to his role in the scandalous link between Ohtani and an illegal sports bookmaking operation.

The legal fallout is still playing out in federal court. Mizuhara entered a not guilty plea before a judge in Los Angeles on Tuesday, hours before Ohtani sent a 446-home run sailing toward the San Francisco Bay. Since Mizuhara surrendered to authorities April 12, headlines surrounding the incident have slowed from a cascade to a slow trickle.

Exactly how Ohtani is dealing with the personal ramifications from losing more money than most people will see in their lifetimes isn't clear. But he seems to be handling it all more easily of late — and that seems to be translating to measurable results on the field.

"I think really as the incidents progressed and I was basically doing what I can to show that I'm fine, and as the incidents were progressing and the investigation was going on and I was starting to not be involved any more, that's when I was able to really focus on my sleep and being able to sleep better," Ohtani said.