Shohei Ohtani posed for a picture with a woman who is believed to be his wife before the Los Angeles Dodgers took their flight to Korea for the Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres.
Image via the Dodgers:
Wheels up to Seoul. pic.twitter.com/NgeQYiwgS2
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 14, 2024
Early in spring training, Shohei Ohtani revealed he had previously got married to a woman from Japan. However, it was unknown who she was until now.
“To all my friends and fans throughout , I have an announcement to make: Not only have I began a new chapter in my career with the Dodgers but I also have began a new life with someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me and I wanted everyone to know I am now married,” Ohtani wrote on Instagram in late February.
The woman, Mamiko Tanaka, is reportedly a Japanese professional basketball player, per World Baseball Classic reporter Shawn Spradling.
Spradling shared a video of her highlights:
Mamiko Tanaka: a normal Japanese woman pic.twitter.com/RwnvXFNDGl
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) March 14, 2024
There was initially no confirmation that the woman was Ohtani’s wife after the pictures surfaced. However, ABC7 Eyewitness news confirmed the reports.
“Responding to an inquiry from ABC7, the team confirmed that the woman pictured is Ohtani’s wife but did not identify her by name,” ABC 7 Eyewitness News wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Fans are incredibly excited for Ohtani and his wife.
“Shohei Ohtani wife reveal!!” Ben Verlander wrote on X.
“Shohei Ohtani’s wife is Mamiko Tanaka, a professional basketball player!” Foul Territory wrote.
Now Ohtani and the Dodgers will try to focus on defeating the Padres in Korea in what should be an exciting two-game series.
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The Chicago Cubs have been dazzled by the progress of the bat of Moisés Ballesteros, who earned a call-up at 21 years old earlier this season. Turns out there is another Venezuelan prospect with similar credentials right behind him at Double-A Knoxville. Pedro Ramirez isn’t talked about as much in the Cubs’ system right now. As the Cubs’ system is among the best in baseball and features several highly respected hitters, it’s not unexpected to see the 21-year-old Ramirez get lost in the shuffle. Well, that’s changing. Recently, MLB Pipeline highlighted a breakthrough prospect for each team, one that was lightly thought of at the start of the season but has since broken through and risen quickly up each team’s Top 30 rankings. Ramirez was the selection for the Cubs, as he has risen to No. 7 this season. Pedro Ramirez’s Breakthrough Season Ramirez signed for $75,000 in 2021 as an international free agent, the same year his countryman, Ballesteros, signed a $1.2 million deal. While Ballesteros has risen quickly due to his power profile, Ramirez has had a steadier development, highlighted by a consistent slash since he started playing pro baseball in 2021. With Double-A Knoxville this season he has slashed .272/.344/.380 with seven home runs and 50 RBI. That’s what the Cubs organization has come to expect from the switch-hitting infielder, who can play second base and third base. In five seasons of minor league baseball, he’s finished a season batted .300 or better twice and has never had a slash line worse than the .266/.358/.404 he posted in 2023, which was his year with a full-season affiliate at Class-A Myrtle Beach. He may not have a lot of power, but he makes great contact, avoids strikeouts — he’s never had more than 100 in a season — and draws close to 50 walks per season. Those are the kind of number that help earn a player like Ramirez a shot at a Major League job, likely as a utility player to start. Cubs Top 10 Prospects Ramirez isn’t the only Cubs prospect to keep an eye on as the organization features several high-level prospects that are ready for the Major League, including No. 1 prospect and outfielder Owen Caissie per Pipeline. Caissie was the object of great speculation at the trade deadline, but the Cubs hung on to him and he remains at Triple-A Iowa waiting for either an injury or 2026 to make a full MLB debut. He could be a selection for a September call-up when rosters expand. Right behind him is Ballesteros, who made his MLB debut earlier this year and is back at Iowa. Shortstop Jefferson Rojas is No. 3 in the system and is playing at Double-A Knoxville. He can also play second base, but the Cubs are set at both positions with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner, respectively. Another coveted trade piece, outfielder Kevin Alcántara, is No. 4 and playing at Iowa. Pitcher Jaxon Wiggins is ranked No. 5 and is also playing at Knoxville. He is another highly regarded prospect that could be ready next year. The highly versatile Jonathan Long, who can play both corner positions and outfield and is playing at Iowa, is No. 6. After Ramirez, right-handed pitcher Brandon Birdsell is No. 8 and pitching at Iowa, while No. 9 prospect and infielder James Triantos is also at Iowa. Middle infielder Cristian Hernandez, who is playing for High-A South Bend, rounds out the Top 10.
It's the Browns. When the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this April, they had a total of five quarterbacks on their roster between their incoming rookies, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and the injured Deshaun Watson. And despite the kind of confusing nature of their stockpiling so many QBs, it sounds like the team could double-down on the the decision by the time the regular season kicks off. According to The Athletic's Zac Jackson, "the Browns absolutely might keep all four quarterbacks" heading into Cleveland's season opener. While also adding, "No, Shedeur Sanders is not going to start Week 1 for the Browns. But he's put a lot of pressure on his coaches and fellow QBs headed into this week — the biggest week of training camp as the Browns head to Philly." Fans reacted to the reporter's update on X: "At this point it's not even a QB room anymore. It's a pitching rotation now," a user said. "One as a starter, One as a backup, One to hold on field goals, And one listed as a wide receiver for tax purposes," another commented. "[Shedeur Sanders] should be developed and shouldn't be thrown out there week 1 but he should be considered to be put over Gabriel and Pickett," a fan pointed out. "While also finally getting meaningful reps with the 1's." "I'm a Shedeur fan who wants Flacco to start with Shedeur at QB2," another person replied. "Sitting behind a veteran QB can be very valuable, and you know he'd be ready if he had to come off the bench. Just my .02." "This isn't unprecedented," another user posted. "The Patriots kept 4 QBs in the 2000 season. Worked out ok for them. Not saying there's a Brady in their QB room. But if they have 4 guys who they think are NFL worthy (even if none are QB1 right now), they can make it work." The Browns have been bitten by the injury bug thus far in camp with Pickett and Gabriel both dealing with ailments this preseason — opening up a window for Shedeur Sanders to earn his way up the depth chart. Sanders played well in Friday night's debut with a 14-of-23 performance for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the way to a 30-10 win over Carolina. But head coach Kevin Stefanski says the team in "evaluation mode" when it comes to their QBs.
After a down 2023 season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen re-established himself last season as one of the team's more reliable defenders. In training camp, the 26-year-old seems to be picking up where he left off. “Riq’s locked in this year,” Seattle third-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon said, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “He just continues to be better. Riq’s got a lot of stuff to show a lot of people.” But can Seattle keep him? Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Woolen will make $5.4 million this season (h/t: Spotrac). Per Over The Cap, the Seahawks are projected to have roughly $61M in cap space in 2026, but they also have other players to sign. Seattle soon will give a top-tier contract to Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and offensive tackles Charles Cross and Anthony Lucas also may merit bigger deals soon. The Seahawks won’t have a lot of salary cap space left if they want to extend most of their top young players. In training camp, Woolen frequently defends against Smith-Njigba, who is one of the more dynamic route-runners in the league. The Seahawks are labeling him as one of the top performers in training camp. Woolen could be one of the top options by the trade deadline later in the season. He could give a team a much-needed upgrade in defending against the passing game. The Seahawks could get a good package in return if they are unable to extend to a longer contract.
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter is going to be one of the must-see stories in the NFL this season as he attempts to play both sides of the ball. It's going to be a daunting task in the NFL, but he got his first taste of it on Saturday night in the team's preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hunter lined up as both a wide receiver and cornerback — just as he did throughout his college career — and produced some mixed results. Offensively, he lined up for nine snaps on the team's opening drive and caught two passes (on two targets) for nine yards, including a six-yard catch that came up just one yard short of the first-down line on a third-down play. The Jaguars' first-team offense was going up against a lineup featuring mostly Steelers backups, and their game plan seemed to focus more on short-quick passes than anything that would allow Hunter to get downfield or make any big plays. Defensively, Hunter lined up for five snaps at cornerback and did not have any passes go in his direction, while he also missed a potential tackle on a running play. Hunter was one of the best players in college football over the previous two seasons, playing both cornerback and wide receiver at an exceptionally high level. It was not uncommon for him to play over 100 snaps in a game. That performance resulted in him being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft class (with Jacksonville trading up to get him). He has every intention of playing both sides of the ball in the NFL, and the Jaguars seem inclined to let him try. It's not going to be easy, though. There is a massive difference in speed and physicality (not to mention quality of play) between college football and the NFL, and just because he was able to excel at both positions (and have the durability to play both) in the former does not mean he will be able to do so as effectively in the latter. He may have to limit himself on one side of the ball a little as the grind of a season wears on. If he does not have to limit himself, and if he is able to pull it off, it would make him one of the most valuable players in the NFL just based on the fact that he is two premium positions in one player.
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