Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his rarely-seen wife announce major family news
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is now a two-time father after he and his wife Mamiko announced the birth of their second child on Saturday.
‘We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together,’ read a statement from Shohei and Mamiko. ‘Thank you for being born safely. We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey.’
The good news was first delivered by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts when he scratched Ohtani from Friday’s game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. Ohtani had been dealing with knee inflammation, so some feared bad news for Japan’s most identifiable sports star.
Then Roberts clarified that the 31-year-old was out of the lineup as he and his wife were expecting their second child. The welcomed a daughter last year, but they have not revealed the gender of their newest child.
Ohtani is, of course, known for his secrecy on both sides of the Pacific as wife Mamiko and their first born are rarely seen in public. Likewise, their marriage was mostly a secret as well. Not even the Dodgers knew about it until after the couple had already exchanged their vows.
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is now a two-time father after he and his wife Mamiko announced the birth of their second child on Saturday
Ohtani married Tanaka in a secret ceremony in 2024, with the four-time MVP taking a few weeks to reveal exactly who she was after first announcing that he had wed a mystery woman in February.
‘I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers, but I also have started a new life with someone from my native country of Japan who is very special to me,’ he said on social media.
Tanaka is a 28-year-old former Japanese basketball player who played in the country’s top women’s league.
The new addition to the Ohtani family comes during an exciting time for the couple. Not only did they give their one-year-old a sibling, but Ohtani’s Dodgers are in first place in the National League West by 9.5 games entering Saturday after winning back-to-back World Series titles. The last MLB team to threepeat was the New York Yankees from 1998 through 2000.
And Ohtani is once again among the game’s most dominant pitchers after underdgoing a second Tommy John surgery in Septembef of 2023. While some feared for his future as a pitcher, Ohtani returned to the mound in limited action last season, but has blown away the competition in 2026.
Currently Ohtani boasts a minuscule 1.47 earned-run average (ERA), while allowing just 0.882 walks and hits per inning, which would represent a career-best.
