U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday commended Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for his remarkable achievements last year, including becoming the first Major League Baseball player ever to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.
“He looks like a movie star. He’s got a good future,” Trump said after shaking hands with the Japanese designated hitter during an event at the White House to congratulate the club on its 2024 World Series championship.
“That’s just incredible,” Trump also said, mentioning Ohtani hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases last season.
While singling out other leading players of the team such as Mookie Betts, Trump also called the name of and shook hands with Japanese starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
At the end of the event, the 47th president of the country was presented with a Dodgers jersey with the number 47.
The Dodgers made the trip before taking on the Washington Nationals later in the day at Nationals Park.
Ohtani won his maiden World Series title in a historic first year with the Dodgers, during which he claimed his third MVP award.
Yamamoto also contributed to the championship in a strong MLB rookie campaign. He and Ohtani have this year been joined by Samurai Japan teammate Roki Sasaki on the Dodgers roster.
The Dodgers last visited the White House as World Series champions in 2021, during Joe Biden’s presidency.
© KYODO
© Japan Today