Shortly after beginning an interactive chat on Instagram Tuesday, Matt Bowyer watched as Shohei Ohtani smashed a low slider 440 feet for a leadoff home run, marking his 23rd of the season. That home run also pushed Ohtani's total to 132 homers since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, making him the player with the most home runs in Major League Baseball during that time.
Bowyer, a former bookie who recently completed prison time, expressed his excitement about hoping to catch a Dodgers game this season. Meanwhile, Ohtani took the opportunity to speak with reporters via interpreter Will Ireton, who replaced former translator Ippei Mizuhara. In this discussion, Ohtani acknowledged a delay in his return to pitching due to a biceps injury but remains the leading contender for the National League MVP award. Should he win, he would become the first player since Barry Bonds to achieve league MVP honors for four consecutive seasons—an accolade fans anticipated when Ohtani began his Dodger career during the MLB Korea Series in 2024.
Ohtani's performance has notably improved since the pivotal date of March 20, 2024, a day that dramatically changed the lives of Ohtani, Bowyer, and Mizuhara. On that day, Mizuhara made a claim to ESPN about Ohtani transferring millions to cover part of his gambling debts, a statement he later recanted, asserting that Ohtani was the victim of a substantial embezzlement.
Amidst renewed scrutiny, ESPN released new audio from the original Mizuhara interview, prompting Bowyer to reiterate his belief that Ohtani did not engage in any gambling activities. "He did nothing wrong; I don't believe he gambled," Bowyer noted during the Instagram session.
The drama unfolded just days before the start of the 2024 season when Ohtani and the Dodgers faced the San Diego Padres in Seoul. Tisha Thompson, an investigative reporter with ESPN, had been investigating allegations of wire transfers linked to Ohtani’s accounts. Reports indicated that two significant transfers of $500,000 each went to accounts tied to Bowyer’s betting operation. However, details suggested initial miscommunication regarding these payments.
In the lead-up to the game, Thompson's investigation led her to Ohtani’s representatives, including Hiltzik Strategies, a crisis management firm. Here, she spoke with Mizuhara, who had been closely tied to Ohtani. Bowyer's home faced a federal raid the previous October, with accusations surrounding him concerning $325 million in wagers from Mizuhara.
In a complex story, Mizuhara initially reported significant gambling winnings, which were later offset by large losses that resulted in a $40.2 million debt. Throughout the investigation, Thompson sought clarity on the wire transactions, which implicating the depths of the gambling debts incurred by Mizuhara.
Comments from Mizuhara indicated he felt uncomfortable during the transaction processes, but over time, these activities became routine. "For me, it felt bad every time we did a wire," he mentioned. Ohtani later expressed shock upon learning about the missing funds from his accounts, leading him to seek legal counsel. His attorneys later reported that he had fallen victim to a massive theft.
The aftermath saw Ohtani publicly deny any involvement in gambling and affirm his shock over the allegations against Mizuhara. "To summarize how I'm feeling right now, I’m just beyond shocked. It’s really hard to verbalize how I’m feeling at this point," he explained in a press conference.
Subsequently, Mizuhara faced federal charges, including bank fraud, and began his prison term in early 2025, with a scheduled release in January 2029. Ohtani’s legal team maintained that he was unaware of Mizuhara's gambling habits.
IRS Criminal Investigations has included Ohtani in their investigations as a victim rather than a participant in the alleged gambling activities. A special agent involved in the case made it clear that all victims, including high-profile ones like Ohtani, are treated with the same seriousness.
Bowyer, whose legal troubles culminated in a year-long prison sentence for illegal gambling and related charges, is now permanently banned from Nevada casinos. Four major casinos have had to pay multimillion-dollar fines related to Bowyer's operations.
As ESPN's six-part series “The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani” continues, viewers will delve into these complex developments, including Bowyer's past and his interactions with Ohtani's team. Bowyer has previously shared insights about the gambling environment within the Dodgers, emphasizing that Ohtani had no interest in betting, stating, "He wouldn’t gamble $5, so you don’t just start gambling $40 million."
With unresolved questions remaining nearly two years after the initial allegations, the narrative of Mizuhara’s actions and Ohtani's involvement continues to unfold as the MLB star reaches the peak of his career.
