Shohei Ohtani and Mamiko Tanaka: Athletic Power Couple Expecting First Baby
Once deemed one of the greatest athletes of our time, Shohei Ohtani is doing it again—this time with personal news. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar, who made his team their first World Series champions in a dazzling rookie season just this past year, recently revealed that he and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, are pregnant with their first child.
It’s a beautiful surprise like when we found out Ohtani was married earlier this year. To that point, his personal life had been largely private. Mamiko Tanaka isn’t new to the limelight, as she had gained a name as a top basketball athlete in her own right. Now, the world class athletes are set to be parents for what a number of people have speculated will be a child with world class athletic genes.
A New Chapter for the Ohtani Family.
Ohtani took to Instagram Saturday to announce to his fans he is expecting a child with girlfriend Yuki Kudoh. Accompanied by a picture featuring his beloved dog, Decoy, and an adorable set of baby pajamas, the post’s caption read: “I hope the little rookie joins our family soon. Can’t wait!” Ohtani didn’t explicitly say what its gender but the mention of a pink ruffled one’s gives a strong hint its expecting a girls.
There’s no certainty that their child will play in the NFL, but the genetic potential is there. There’s a future to be good at anything with a record breaking baseball player for a father and a former basketball star for a mother.
For the Dodgers, what This Means.
Fans won’t mind Ohtani with his competitive spirit, but his parental leave has potential for the Dodgers upcoming season. That means the team may have to trudge through part of the schedule without its ace, allowing rival teams a brief window for a chance at making their playoff run with more home field advantage.
But the announcement underlines that some of the toughest competitors in world sport have off days when family is most important. This will be the beginning of an exciting road both on and off the field for Ohtani and Tanaka.
