LOS ANGELES — Wherever Shohei Ohtani goes, Naoyuki Yanagihara is never far behind. For more than a decade, the sportswriter for Sports Nippon has been documenting Ohtani’s journey from a promising rookie to a baseball legend, meticulously chronicling every milestone.

“I've been covering Shohei Ohtani for 11 years,” Yanagihara said.

From the press box, Yanagihara has watched Ohtani defy expectations, becoming not just an athlete but an event in Japan, with 24-hour news coverage dedicated to his every move.

On Thursday night, Ohtani made history once again, becoming the first player in MLB history to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season. The performance, which included three home runs and two stolen bases, left fans around the world in awe.

“Nobody believed he could do it, but he believed it,” Yanagihara said. “I also couldn't believe it, but he did it.”

But it’s not just Japan that’s watching. Mengti Yang, a Dodgers fan from Taiwan, donned a custom-made Ohtani cowboy hat at the game, expressing pride in the superstar’s achievements.

“The fact that someone from Asia can achieve such an achievement at this level. It makes us feel like nothing is impossible,” Yang said.

Yanagihara splits his time between Tokyo and the United States, spending half the year with his wife and child and the other half in hotels, following Ohtani’s career. Despite the grueling schedule, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I enjoy my life,” Yanagihara said.

As Ohtani continues to break records and captivate fans worldwide, Yanagihara remains dedicated to telling the story of a once-in-a-generation player, one historic moment at a time.