Oct 5, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) flips his bat after striking out against the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Does Shohei Ohtani Regret Initially Signing With Angels? Agent Nez Balelo Answers

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated May 10, 2025 3:30 PM ET

Former Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani spent several years with the team before moving on to the crosstown rivals. However, if he had the opportunity to do it all over again, he would not change a thing.

In 2017, Ohtani was pursued by several teams as one of the most promising talents from Japan, ultimately choosing the Angels after a lengthy courtship.

His start with the Angels was rocky, to say the least, as he struggled during his first Cactus League season and many questioned whether he would be demoted to the minors.

Several questions also arose regarding whether the two-way player experiment would be successful and if the Angels needed to urge Ohtani to select a position on the field.

To their credit, the Angels kept their promise to Ohtani, allowing him to continue both pitching and hitting. This commitment did not go unnoticed by Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani has won six straight starts for the first time in his career with a 0.45 ERA (39.2 IP – 2 ER) and 58 strikeouts over that span.#GoHalos | @NationalPro pic.twitter.com/vr46n63ff8
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 14, 2022

He became very comfortable in Anaheim, blossoming into an international sensation and enjoying the weather of Southern California.

While speaking at Sportico’s Invest West conference at Intuit Dome, Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, stated that the Ohtani camp would not have done it any other way.

“If we had to do it all over again today, we would have done it exactly the same way,” Balelo said.

“We would have chosen the Angels back in the day. It was the right place, with the group and Mike (Scioscia) and the whole team over there. They gave him an opportunity. They stuck with him. He had a tough spring. It was the right home for him at the time.”

The move paid off for Ohtani, allowing him to develop under less scrutiny than a team like the Dodgers. He won two AL MVPs for the franchise and formed a dynamic duo with outfielder Mike Trout.

During his free agency in 2023, he decided to join the Dodgers, where he is set to finish his career, though the Angels will always hold a prominent chapter in Ohtani's unprecedented story.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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