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At long last, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is at peace. The two-time AL MVP can finally move on from the scandal involving his former translator Ippei Mizuhara after the latter's court hearing on Tuesday.
Ohtani released an official statement on the matter, via USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
“Shohei Ohtani: ‘Now that the investigation has been completed, this full admission of guilt has brought important closure to me and my family,” Nightengale tweeted. “I want to sincerely thank the authorities for finishing their thorough and effective investigation so quickly and uncovering all of the evidence.”
Mizuhara stole over $17 million from Ohtani to pay off his sports betting debt, which he'll now have to pay back to him in restitution. Mizuhara is facing a maximum sentence of 33 years on one count of bank fraud and one count of tax fraud charges.
“This has been a uniquely challenging time, so I am especially grateful for my support team – my family, agent, agency, lawyers, and advisors along with the entire Dodger organization, who showed endless support throughout this process,” Ohtani continued. “It's time to close this chapter, move on and continue to focus on playing and winning ballgames.”
US attorney Martin Estrada even said that Mizuhara used Ohtani's money for dental work, via ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
US attorney Martin Estrada on today’s guilty plea from Ippei Mizuhara … pic.twitter.com/YL1E7meOIk
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) June 4, 2024
“After we announced the charges, we only discovered more fraud in this case,” Estrada explained. “We discovered that Mr. Mizuhara had victimized Mr. Ohtani to the extent that he wouldn't even pay for dental fees. He stole money from Mr. Ohtani to pay for his own dental expenses. The fraud was deep, and the fraud was expensive.”
Now, Mizuhara will have to find other dental arrangements ahead of his sentencing on October 25th.
Ohtani, on the other hand, has a more joyous future ahead. The 2023 World Baseball Classic champion is in the midst of a red-hot campaign, and he'll aim to continue that trend as the Dodgers sit atop the NL West at 38-23.
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How will this action-packed season end for Ohtani?
Ohtani and the Dodgers will have to battle several heavyweights to win the pennant
Ohtani is one of the most decorated active players in the MLB, but he's still missing the most important accolade of all: a World Series championship.
To get one this year, though, Los Angeles will have to contend with several NL heavyweights. The Philadelphia Phillies (42-19), Milwaukee Brewers (36-24), and Atlanta Braves (33-24) will all be imposing threats to the Dodgers in October.
If Los Angeles does manage to win the pennant, then they'll have to battle with a strong AL squad in the World Series. The New York Yankees (42-19), Baltimore Orioles (38-20), and Cleveland Guardians (39-20) are all strong possibilities.
To make matters worse, the organization has a long history of coming just short of lifting the trophy. Other than the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, the Dodgers haven't won it all since 1988. Granted, that was before the team landed Ohtani, so this season could mark a new era for the West Coast giants.
