Shohei Ohtani achieved an unprecedented milestone in sports history by securing a record-shattering $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023.

Although the Japanese superstar’s rare two-way ability has earned him the tag of baseball’s unicorn, Ohtani admitted the desire to push his limits in the ESPN documentary “Shohei Ohtani: Beyond the Dream.”

However, the former Los Angeles Angels star admits that the career of an MLB player is relatively short and he would be surprised if he makes it to 50, given the workload due to his two-way ability.

“The spring training in 2018 was a disaster. My results were terrible. But in a way that’s what I had signed up for. Time is limited for a pro baseball player. If I make it to 50, that would be a miracle in itself. I want to dedicate my time and push my limits to how far I can go.”

The two-time MVP bared his emotions after an underwhelming spring training for the Angels in his first MLB year with the franchise. However, he wasn’t bogged down by his initial failure and tried to make every opportunity count, citing the short career of a baseball player.

Shohei Ohtani’s desire to win influenced his move to the Dodgers

The three-time All-Star won several accolades with the Angels during his AL stint. However, the fact that he never managed to make a postseason appearance with the franchise always made for an underwhelming outcome to an MLB season.

His desire for success was the major driving force behind his record-breaking contract with the Dodgers, who won the World Series as recently as 2020 and seems to be preparing for another bid for the ultimate prize next year.

“When I had the meeting with the Dodgers – the ownership group, they said when they looked back at the last 10 years, even though they made the playoffs every single year, one World Series ring, they consider that a failure,” Ohtani said. “When I heard that, I knew they were all about winning. That’s exactly how I feel. That’s one of the things that stood out.”