Shohei Ohtani Surprises 13-Year-Old Fan With Unforgettable First Pitch Experience

Photo: Instagram/Shohei Ohtani

There’s nothing quite like the smile on a young fan’s face when they meet their favorite player. That smile was multiplied by a thousand when Shohei Ohtani walked into 13-year-old Albert's hospital room.

Thursday was Ohtani’s bobblehead night, and before the game, the Dodgers superstar surprised Albert, a pediatric patient at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. Albert's reaction was priceless when Ohtani entered the room. He looked like he couldn’t believe it was real, similar to Elly De La Cruz’s disbelief when he met Ohtani at second base last season.

“Nervous?” Ohtani asked after shaking Albert’s hand. He then gave the teen a signed jersey and dropped the biggest surprise of all: Albert would be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, with Ohtani catching.

Photo: Instagram/Shohei Ohtani

Albert was speechless, a reaction that surprised one of his family members. “I’ve never seen him this quiet before. He’s so quiet,” they said. Ohtani had one more surprise. After throwing out the first pitch, Albert would be watching the game from a suite. Albert’s jaw dropped again.

Once Ohtani left the room, Albert managed to find some words. “What the heck just happened?” Albert summed up the experience perfectly: “First thing I thought was like, ‘Oh, he’s tall.’ I couldn’t even breathe for like 30 seconds.”


It was a night Albert will never forget and one he’ll surely tell his friends about many times – as long as Shohei isn’t in the room.

Read Next: Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama's 1st 'Big Purchase' Was Fitting, Yet Unexpected

Source: MLB

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