Was Shohei Ohtani "underestimated" among the Dodgers' Japanese trio? Ohtani openly admitted: especially by Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

This year, Shohei Ohtani, together with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, made up the much-discussed "Japanese trio" on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their fun exchanges during the season frequently became a highlight. Recently, during an NHK interview, when questioned about whether he acted as the "big brother" among them, Ohtani chuckled and said, "That's absolutely not true! They actually tend to 'look down' on me, particularly Yoshinobu Yamamoto."

Throughout this season, the interactions among these three Japanese stars have been a favorite topic for fans. For instance, during the World Series, Roki Sasaki humorously "knelt" before Yoshinobu Yamamoto to show respect; in an 18-inning thriller, while Yamamoto warmed up in the bullpen preparing to pitch again after a day's rest, the Dodgers hit a walk-off home run to win. Instead of rushing to celebrate with the teammate who hit the winning run, Ohtani and Sasaki ran to the bullpen to celebrate with Yamamoto; after the championship, Ohtani emotionally lifted Yamamoto, while Sasaki held the trophy.

Recently, reflecting on the season in an NHK program, Shohei Ohtani said: "It was truly a joy to stand on that stage as one of the three Japanese players. Yamamoto had an outstanding performance this year, and Sasaki returned in the final stages to contribute significantly. I think they both had a fantastic season."

When asked if he acted like a "big brother" in the trio, Shohei Ohtani laughed and denied it: "Not at all." Then, with a knowing smile, he added: "Basically, those two tend to 'underestimate' me, especially Yoshinobu Yamamoto."