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Shohei Otani is a 22-year-old Japanese baseball player who is dubbed as Japan's answer to Babe Ruth. He is a pitcher, outfielder, and hitter for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He was drafted in the team in 2012. On October 5, 2014, he is recorded to have the fastest pitch in an official game with a speed of 165 kilometers per hour. In the 2016 season, he was selected to be part of the Pacific League's "Best Nine" team as both pitcher and designated hitter. For the 2017 World Classic, he is expected to be the ace of the Japan's National Baseball Team but an ankle injury forced him to withdraw.

Photo by Ship1231. Licensed under Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

Tags: Shohei Otani, Babe Ruth, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, pitcher, designated hitter, fastest pitch, Pacific League, 2017 World Classic, National Baseball Team