Shohei Ohtani makes history with appearance on cover of 'MLB The Show 22'

"I was very excited about the possibility and it actually came true," Ohtani said through an interpreter, via ESPN. "This game has a lot of history. It's one of the only baseball games that has been out here, so it makes me want to get better on the field and live up to the hype." 

Ohtani, 27, broke barriers in 2021 with his successful season as both a shut-down pitcher and home run hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. He earned league MVP honors after finishing the season slashing .257/.372/.592 with 46 homers and 100 RBI while also registering a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings as a starting pitcher.

He was also the first two-way player in league history to tally more than 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases while also recording 100 strikeouts and more than 10 pitching appearances. He received the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award in late October. 

Ohtani told ESPN he hopes his appearance helps unite baseball fans with video game fans.

"I'm sure there are fans that love to play the video game but don't actually watch the game," he said. "Then the opposite, people that watch the game but don't play the video game. I'm trying to bring back the popularity and set an example for those watching the game. Sony and San Diego Studios, they're going the other route by making a video game trying to get the game popular that way. It's a good combination, trying to bring the popularity back as a whole."