Shohei Ohtani, the superstar of the LA Dodgers who plays as both a pitcher and a hitter in Major League Baseball (MLB), has now transformed into a children's book author.

On the 18th (Korean time), MLB.com reported, "Ohtani does not seem satisfied with just rewriting baseball records," adding, "He wrote a fairy tale featuring his pet dog as the main character." The book is scheduled to be published in February 2026.

MLB.com reported on the 18th (Korean time) that "Otani does not seem satisfied with just rewriting baseball records" and "he wrote a fairy tale featuring his pet dog as the main character."

Otani participated as a co-author of a fairy tale book starring his pet dog 'Decoy'. The title is 'Decoy saves opening day.'

According to the publisher, Otani plans to donate the book sales proceeds to an animal shelter organization.

Ohtani participated as a co-author of a fairy tale book starring his pet dog 'Decoy.' The title is 'Decoy saves opening day.'

Decoy has enjoyed tremendous popularity ever since Ohtani was first introduced as the regular season Most Valuable Player (MVP) last year. In January, Decoy even received a special visa with a fake passport number as a gift from the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.

The fairy tale is reportedly based on Ohtani's real-life experiences. On August 30 last year, Ohtani and his pet dog Decoy took part in the ceremonial first pitch together at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, during an MLB game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Otani revealed a fairy tale book through his social networking service (SNS) [Image source=Photo by Shohei Otani on Instagram]

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At that time, Decoy wore a uniform with Ohtani's number 17 and went up to the mound. Ohtani, who was in charge of the first pitch, placed the ball on the mound and sat in the catcher's position, while Decoy picked up the ball and ran to Ohtani, recreating the ceremonial pitch.

This new book appears to be a retelling of that experience. In the fairy tale, the setting is changed to Opening Day. The story depicts Decoy, who left the lucky baseball at home, finding the ball and returning to the stadium in time.

According to the publisher, Ohtani plans to donate the proceeds from the book sales to an animal shelter organization.