Shohei Ohtani is basically the main character of baseball right now. If you've looked at a sports highlight reel in the last five years, you’ve seen him. But for a guy who feels like he's been around forever—especially after that massive $700 million Dodgers contract—the timeline of his arrival in the States is actually pretty specific.
Honestly, it wasn't that long ago.
The short answer? Shohei Ohtani joined the MLB in December 2017, when he officially signed with the Los Angeles Angels. However, he didn't actually step onto a big-league field for a regular-season game until March 29, 2018. That’s the date that counts in the record books.
The Winter He Broke the Internet
Before Ohtani was "Showtime" in Anaheim, he was a literal myth playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan. By the time 2017 rolled around, every single MLB front office was drooling. They knew he was coming. The "posting" process—which is basically how Japanese teams "release" players to the MLB—started in late 2017.
It was a circus.
Every team had to write a literal essay to Ohtani’s camp explaining why they were the best fit. Imagine being a billionaire owner and having to do homework just for the chance to talk to a 23-year-old. He narrowed it down to seven finalists: the Angels, Mariners, Rangers, Dodgers, Giants, Padres, and Cubs.
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On December 8, 2017, the news dropped. He chose the Angels. Why? Most people thought he’d pick a massive market like New York or a perennial winner. Instead, he wanted a specific "bond" and a place that would actually let him pitch and hit. Most teams were skeptical about the two-way thing. The Angels said, "Sure, let’s try it."
When did Ohtani join the MLB for his first actual game?
Signing the contract is one thing, but the debut is where the legend started. Ohtani’s first MLB game was Opening Day, March 29, 2018, against the Oakland Athletics.
He didn't waste any time.
In his very first at-bat, he singled on the first pitch he saw. Think about the nerves. You're the most hyped international prospect since Ichiro Suzuki, and you just walk up and rip a line drive. A few days later, on April 1, he made his pitching debut. He went six innings and struck out six.
That first week was basically a "told you so" to every scout who said he should pick one position and stick to it.
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The Contract Details Nobody Remembers
Here is a weird fact: Ohtani was actually a "bargain" when he joined the MLB.
Because of the rules at the time regarding international players under 25, Ohtani couldn't sign a massive multi-hundred-million-dollar deal right away. He was restricted to a minor league contract with a signing bonus. The Angels paid a $20 million posting fee to his Japanese team and gave Ohtani a signing bonus of around **$2.3 million**.
His salary that first year? Just $545,000.
Basically, the best player in the world was making the league minimum. It’s wild to think about now that he’s making $70 million a year (well, mostly deferred) with the Dodgers. He left a lot of money on the table in Japan just to prove he could do it in the States earlier.
Why the 2018 Start Date Matters
You’ll see 2018 cited as his rookie year because that's when he took home the American League Rookie of the Year award. He hit 22 home runs and had a 3.31 ERA. People forget how much doubt there was during Spring Training that year. He struggled in the preseason. Writers were calling him an "high school hitter."
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He shut that down pretty fast.
The Move to the Dodgers
While he joined the MLB with the Angels, the version of Ohtani we see today—the two-time World Series champion (2024, 2025) and 50-50 club founder—really evolved during his free agency move in late 2023.
He spent six seasons with the Angels. It was a weird era. He was winning MVPs, but the team wasn't winning games. When he hit free agency after the 2023 season, the sports world stopped. On December 9, 2023, he announced he was staying in LA but switching to the blue side with the Dodgers.
That 10-year, $700 million deal changed everything. It wasn't just a contract; it was a shift in how baseball is marketed globally.
Key Milestones Since Joining
- 2018: Wins AL Rookie of the Year.
- 2021: Becomes the first player to be an All-Star as both a pitcher and a hitter. Wins his first unanimous MVP.
- 2023: Wins his second unanimous AL MVP before hitting free agency.
- 2024: Joins the Dodgers, hits 54 homers, steals 59 bases (the 50-50 club), and wins his first World Series.
- 2025: Returns to the mound, wins another World Series, and grabs a fourth career MVP.
What You Should Do Next
If you're trying to keep track of Ohtani's stats or just want to see when he's pitching next, the best move is to download a reliable MLB tracker app or check the probable pitchers list on MLB.com. Since he’s back to being a two-way player after his 2024 "hitting only" season, his schedule is a bit more complex.
Keep an eye on the Dodgers' six-man rotation. Ohtani typically pitches once a week, usually with an extra day of rest compared to standard MLB starters. Watching him in person is a bucket-list item, so if the Dodgers are coming to your city, buy the tickets early. They sell out fast just because he's on the roster.
Check the official MLB schedule and filter by "Probable Pitchers" to catch his next start on the mound.