MLB makes Shohei Ohtani the face — and voice — of opening week

Shohei Ohtani, the face of baseball? After all.

Shohei Ohtani, the voice of baseball? Right here we go.

After a season of unequalled accomplishment of pitching and hitting, Main League Baseball is deploying the Angels star as its marquee pitchman. In a 30-second advert saluting the beginning of the brand new season, the league options such stars as Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Trea Turner of the Dodgers, Aaron Choose of the New York Yankees and Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals.

Just one participant speaks within the advert: Ohtani, in English.

The league additionally produced variations of the advert for Spanish-speaking and Japanese-speaking audiences. In response to the league, the Japanese model makes use of subtitles — so, even there, Ohtani can be heard talking English.

Ohtani captivated fans around the world final season, particularly taking heart stage on the All-Star recreation. He hit and pitched within the first inning, then stayed within the recreation to hit — a rule adjustment so standard it now has been memorialized in his identify.

Ohtani is scheduled to function the Angels’ beginning pitcher and designated hitter Thursday, when the Angels open their season in Anaheim, in opposition to the Houston Astros.