the Tokyo Series with newfound maturity

TOKYO — The Tokyo Series — a.k.a. the celebration of Shohei Ohtani — begins this week in a festive atmosphere. The Japanese two-way star is among the most beloved athletes in the world and coming off one of the best seasons in the history of Major League Baseball while earning his third MVP for the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

It’s easy to forget that almost exactly one year ago, his career was briefly on the rocks.

The Dodgers were playing the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, last March when a bombshell was revealed: Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend Ippei Mizuhara was being criminally investigated for ties to an illegal gambling ring and had stolen a huge amount of money from the baseball star.

Eventually, Mizuhara would plead guilty to bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly $17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. He was sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison in February. Ohtani was never implicated in the scandal, but it was the first whiff of controversial news for a player with a squeaky-clean reputation.

Looking back, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it was a valuable lesson.

“He’s really become his own man,” Roberts said. “I think his English has gotten considerably better. He’s handling a lot of matters by himself and not having any type of conduit. I think he’s opened himself up more to staff, the players, his teammates.

“It’s just good to see him become his own man, and I say that in an honest and positive way.”

Ohtani is no longer a young man by baseball standards — he turned 30 last July — and is in the prime of a one-of-a-kind career. He revealed last spring he was married to Mamiko Tanaka and the couple is expecting a baby later this year. Combined with the Mizuhara situation, the developments have forced Ohtani to mature, becoming a more well-rounded individual.

That could serve him well as he deals with the reality of his surgically-repaired body.

Ohtani had surgery during the offseason to repair a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder that he suffered during the World Series. He’s also trying to return to the pitcher’s mound after needing major elbow surgery in 2023 for the second time in his career.

Roberts said Ohtani’s improved maturity was noticable earlier this month after the manager suggested that the player slow down his throwing program, instead concentrating on hitting for a few weeks to get the shoulder ready for his designated hitter role in 2025.

Last year, Ohtani might have tried to push through without resting. This year, he took Roberts’ advice.

“He’s smart, he wants to pitch, he wants to hit, but he really understands that he had a major surgery (on his shoulder) and he’s coming off another major surgery in his elbow,” Roberts said. “So to be as good as he expects to be, I think there’s got to be some sacrifices.

“I think as you get older, you have more experiences, you’re more likely to listen to stuff like that.”

It’s fair to wonder if we’ve already seen the best of Ohtani, considering it’s going to be nearly impossible to recreate last season, when he became the first player in MLB history to have at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season.

His stolen base attempts in 2025 figure to be down drastically — particularly early in the season — as he tries to protect his left shoulder. His projected return to the mound is in May, which could eat into his plate appearances later in the season. It’ll be a delicate balance, but Ohtani and the Dodgers seem to be on the same page.

“I’m going to let the team dictate that,” Ohtani said. “I do want to play as much as possible, as many games as possible, but if the team feels like I should get a break, I’ll follow that.”

If there’s anything we’ve learned about Ohtani over the past seven years, it’s that it would be foolish to put limits on what he can accomplish. The three-time MVP and the Dodgers open the season as favorites to capture a second straight World Series title.

Ohtani hasn’t lost his flair for the dramatic, either. In his first spring at-bat after shoulder surgery, he hit an opposite-field homer against Yusei Kikuchi.

“He does not cease to amaze,” Roberts said. “Every time Shohei gets up to bat, you’ve got to watch because something special might happen.”