"He's on a path that no one's ever been on”: Hideki Kuriyama praises Shohei Ohtani's unique baseball journey in documentary

Shohei Ohtani is a generational talent who has proven his skills with both bat and baseball many times during his six illustrious seasons with the Halos in the MLB after making his move from his NPB side, the Nippon-Ham Fighters.

The two-way phenom produced some unimaginable performances at the mound and fulfilled his role as the DH for the roster during the regular season.

Ohtani has since then signed a blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth a whopping $700 million over 10 years, which loosely translates into a salary of $70 million every season. But it ain't that simple since Shotime had requested that $680 million be deferred from his contract.

Shohei Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are enjoying time on the West Coast, which is why Ohtani wanted to stay there this postseason.

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But before making his way all the way across the Pacific, Ohtani played for the Nippon-Ham Figthers under the wishful and exemplary guidance of manager Hideki Kuriyama.

Kuriyama identified the talent that was Ohtani and honed his skills to make him one of the greatest two-way players that this sport has ever seen.

"Shohei keeps on doing the unexpected. He's on a path that no one's ever been on and that's beyond our imagination. I am convinced that he is going to blow us away even more in the future. He needs to win the world series. I have always believed he could run out as a three way player with defense. I have total faith in him for that" - Hideki Kuriyama on Shohei Ohtani via ESPN documentary

Kuriyama has a reputation for defying conventional wisdom in sports. With the national team, he has embraced defensive shifts and sophisticated analytics. He played a key role in allowing Lars Nootbaar to become the first player to play for Samurai Japan who was not born in Japan.

"I learned a lot through Kuriyama-san when I played for him on the Fighters. He is someone who taught me how to play well" - Shohei Ohtani on his previous manager Hideki Kuriyama

Shohei Ohtani owes his skills and talents to Hideki Kuriyama

From 2013 to 2018, Hideki Kuriyama was Shohei Ohtani's manager with the Fighters, overseeing his growth as a two-way player in spite of frequent criticism from former teammates. The two got back together in March as Kuriyama led Japan to victory in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

"I think he is where he is because when he's pursuing something, he never lets up. I am confident he will continue to evolve and show us even more than he already has" - Hideki Kuriyama on Shotime