Feb 25, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) during workouts at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

MLB Scout Has Shohei Ohtani Astros Jersey as Gift From Dodgers Star

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Maren Angus-Coombs | Last updated Feb 27, 2025 11:30 AM ET

Shohei Ohtani has consistently proven to be a genuine and humble person.

During the recruiting process for his entrance into Major League Baseball, he demonstrated his gratitude to international scouts for the opportunity to join the league.

Oz Ocampo, who served as the director of international scouting for the Houston Astros at the time, recently shared a memorable story about a thank-you package he received from Ohtani.

“I still do,” Ocampo said, referring to the gift he received. “I submitted the proposal for Shohei to come to Houston, and he wrote a very nice note saying, ‘Thank you very much. I appreciate all you did.’ And then the Ohtani jersey.”

Ocampo expressed that he plans to keep the jersey as a treasured memento. “That’s not going anywhere,” he said.

Ocampo has also been outspoken about his views on the Los Angeles Dodgers organization this year.

Oz Ocampo still has the Ohtani Astros jersey from when they recruited him. pic.twitter.com/NKQc2XwH6U
— Crush City Territory (@Crush_City_Pod) February 20, 2025

In January, he took to social media to express his frustrations regarding the team’s financial investments. He shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) from the official MLB account that highlighted Houston pitcher Framber Valdez.

Ocampo, now a professor at Rice University, added the caption, “Didn’t cost us $1.032 billion to put it together either.”

Clearly, Ocampo was addressing his dissatisfaction with the Dodgers’ approach to building a roster through significant spending. However, the Dodgers have continued to succeed by assembling a talented team and winning games without the use of controversial methods.

It’s worth noting that Ocampo was with the Astros during the 2017 season.

Although Ohtani never suited up for the Astros, he spent his first six years in the major leagues with the Los Angeles Angels. In the offseason, he signed a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.

Despite recovering from a second major right elbow surgery, Ohtani had the best offensive season of his career. After a slow start at the plate, he finished the season leading the National League with a 9.2 bWAR. He also topped the NL in runs (134), home runs (54), RBIs (130), on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (.646), and OPS (1.036).

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

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