SEATTLE — The player who has become perhaps Major League Baseball's hottest star got a warm welcome from Seattle Mariners fans at the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
Shohei Ohtani was greeted in his at-bat during the first inning in T-Mobile Park with chants of "Come to Seattle."
The superstar has been with the Los Angeles Angels for six seasons and will be a free agent at the end of the year.
Ohtani is a two-way threat -- on the mound and at the plate. The 2021 MVP is having a killer season, leading the league in home runs with 32 and batting a career-high .302. His ERA 3.32 is just slightly higher than his career average, according to ESPN, and he's averaging almost 12 strikeouts per nine innings.
There's a chance Ohtani could be traded by the Angels -- a team that has missed the players for nine straight seasons, which includes all of Ohtani's time with the club.
Either way, he's expected to sign a record-breaking contract.
And in Seattle on Tuesday, with all eyes on the game, fans made it clear what they wanted.
Many people will be vying for Ohtani's glove and bat.
New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga joked on Monday that he was "going to put this hat on him right now." The pair have played together for Japan in international competitions.
In what some may hope is a sign, the Mariners on Monday tweeted out side-by-side photos of Ohtani and former Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki. The photos show each player signing autographs at an MLB All-Star Game -- one in 2001 and one in 2023.
Only time will tell for sure well Ohtani will land.
On Monday he was asked about his future and said for now he's focused on winning on the field.
"I've never been a free agent before, so I'm not sure how that's going to be," Ohtani said via his interpreter. "Like I said before, I'm focused on this season right now. I just want to do my best this year, try and get as many wins as possible and just do my best."