MLB Star Shohei Ohtani Robbed of Millions

In December 2017, Shohei Ohtani signed a six-year $155 million contract with the LA Angels. He has since proven his worth, earning the 2018 Rookie of The Year award and becoming a two-time American League MVP. Once his time was up with the Angels in 2023, the LA Dodgers offered him a record-breaking deal of $700 million for the next ten years. Fans across the MLB were shocked just weeks ago to find out that a huge scandal was brewing as he rose to the highest-paid salary in MLB history. 

Shohei Ohtani was born in Ōshū, Japan in 1994, where he began his professional career in the Nippon Professional Baseball Career as a starter for the Fighters. When he made the move to the Major Leagues in America, he needed an interpreter to aid his transition from Japan to the United States. Guiding him through multi-million-dollar contracts every step of the way was Ippei Mizuhara, who was found this year to have been sports betting the entire time that they worked together and funneling money directly from Ohtani’s bank account to fund his addiction.

 Ohtani and Mizuhara both reside in the state of California, where sports betting is illegal. Mizuhara has accumulated more than $40 million in debt across around 19,000 wagers since 2021 and is under joint investigation by the Departments of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. As of April 2024, Ohtani is being treated as a victim of theft and continues to claim that he had no involvement in or awareness of the gambling. Since working with Ohtani, Mizuhara had direct access to his bank account and collected  more than $16 million to pay off his debts.

Major League Baseball has also been doing its own investigation into the scandal after firing Mizuhara. The controversy comes as a blow to the morale of Dodgers fans, as many suspect that their beloved Ohtani was in on the betting. 

NHL Playoffs Begin

This Saturday, April 20, the National Hockey League will begin the long journey to the Stanley Cup, with 16 total teams facing off in a bracket consisting of four rounds and seven games per match-up. Fans are excited about several starting pairs, especially the Boston Bruins vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs, both “Original Six” teams and recent rivals on the ice. The Bruins are the fan favorites of the match-up, having dominated the game all season and coming in second in their conference standings, but the Maple Leafs were a close third. It is also worth noting that the Bruins won all four of their games during the regular season, so most experts are expecting that pattern to continue. 

After winning this season’s Presidents Trophy, the New York Rangers are another favorite, and fans have high hopes for them winning it all. They are facing off against the Washington Capitals, a team which largely underperformed during the regular season.

The Florida Panthers, ranked first in the Eastern Conference, are also favored by many to win the cup, but the Tampa Bay Lightning will give them a run for their money in the first round. The Panthers currently have the highest goals-against average (2.41) in the league and just barely lost in the championship last year after shocking everyone and making it all the way to the final.