Shortly after Matt Bowyer engaged with his Instagram followers during a live chat on Tuesday, Shohei Ohtani hit a fantastic leadoff home run, launching a low slider nearly 440 feet for his 23rd of the season. This marked Ohtani's 132nd career home run since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, making him the leading home run hitter in Major League Baseball during that span. Amid admiration for Ohtani’s impressive performance, Bowyer shared his excitement about attending a Dodgers game this year — his first since being released from prison earlier this spring.
Communicating through interpreter Will Ireton, who has replaced former translator Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani admitted that a return to pitching would take longer than expected. Despite an ongoing biceps injury, he is still the strong favorite for the National League MVP award, aiming to become the first player since Barry Bonds to win the award for four consecutive seasons. This achievement aligns with the expectations Dodgers fans had when Ohtani began his "Big Blue" career during the 2024 MLB Korea Series, roughly 6,000 miles from Chavez Ravine.
Ohtani's on-field performance has notably improved since a pivotal event on March 20, 2024. On that day, Mizuhara provided ESPN with a statement claiming Ohtani had sent millions to Bowyer to settle part of Mizuhara's gambling debts. Hours later, Mizuhara retracted his statement, with Ohtani’s camp asserting that he had been the victim of significant embezzlement.
This situation gained renewed media interest following the release of an audio recording from Mizuhara’s initial interview by ESPN. Bowyer reiterated his beliefs during the Instagram chat, emphasizing that he does not think Ohtani engaged in betting with his illegal sportsbook. "He did nothing wrong, I don't believe he gambled," Bowyer stated.
Leading up to the 2024 regular season, Ohtani faced the Padres in Seoul during a two-game series, while investigative reporter Tisha Thompson dug into a substantial gambling story over months. Multiple sources provided information about wire transfers from a bank account under Ohtani's name, including two $500,000 wires to accounts linked to Bowyer's betting operations.
In the hours leading up to the season opener, Thompson mistakenly received intel that implicated Ohtani in these transactions. After reaching out to Ohtani’s representatives, she was introduced to Mizuhara through crisis management firm Hiltzik Strategies, led by Matthew Hiltzik, known for advising prominent figures like Hillary Clinton and Brad Pitt.
Bowyer's home had been raided by federal agents the previous October, with accusations emerging that he accepted approximately $325 million in wagers from Mizuhara, who recorded gross winnings of $142.3 million but also incurred losses of $182.9 million, leading to a net debt of $40.2 million. Payments to Bowyer accounted for nearly $17 million, with unresolved debts remaining. The resulting chain of events from Thompson’s interview with Mizuhara stirred public interest in uncovering the truth.
ESPN previously published snippets of Mizuhara’s earlier comments, but new details were revealed in the latest episode of their podcast. Thompson disclosed that she met a confidential informant at night to receive further information on bank routing numbers via an encrypted phone. Two of the wire transfers occurred during Ohtani’s last weeks with the Los Angeles Angels, one on September 14, 2023, and another on October 2, 2023, after the season ended.
During the phone interview with Mizuhara, he described the transactions, although he later admitted to fabricating some details. On one occasion, he mentioned, "Honesty, in the beginning I felt really uncomfortable…he acted like nothing happened."
In the game that followed, Ohtani contributed two hits to the Dodgers' 5-2 victory, one being an RBI single that helped secure a win. Late that night, an MLB source informed Thompson that Ohtani had settled part of Mizuhara’s debts, which he learned about during a meeting where Mizuhara apologized to the team, citing a gambling addiction as the reason for his financial troubles. Reports indicate that Ohtani subsequently found a sizable amount missing from his account, prompting him to involve legal advisors.
By 2 PM ET on the following day, Ohtani’s legal team issued a statement declaring he was a victim of grand theft and was handing the case to law enforcement. Mizuhara was terminated shortly after, but on a subsequent call with Thompson, he retracted previous claims about Ohtani’s knowledge or involvement in the debts.
Mizuhara had a considerable salary from the Dodgers but needed backing to place bets with Bowyer’s limits, with confirmed bet limits reaching around $100,000. Although Mizuhara’s initial claims about Ohtani suggested an understanding of the debts, skeptics began to doubt the veracity after the legal aftermath unfolded.
Ohtani’s public denial of betting at a press conference held mere days after state investigations escalated the case. Through a different interpreter, he stated that Mizuhara had stolen funds and manipulated information about gambling debts. He underlined, "I’m just beyond shocked. It’s hard to express how I feel right now."
The legal proceedings continued as Ohtani, identified in legal documents as “Victim A,” participated in interrogations by IRS agents familiar with high-profile cases. Subsequent investigations led to Mizuhara being indicted on multiple charges, including bank fraud, and facing sentencing for his actions. A notable quote from IRS special agent Chris Seymour conveyed their motivation: "Celebrities aren’t given preferential treatment. Victims deserve the same treatment regardless of their status."
Mizuhara’s sentencing for bank fraud and repercussions like possible deportation to Japan loom ahead of him, as he prepares to serve his sentence into 2029. A sworn affidavit from Seymour detailed the evidence leading to Mizuhara’s downfall, casting doubt on his initial claims about Ohtani’s awareness regarding the gambling transactions.
Before Mizuhara's sentencing, a tape emerged showing him impersonating Ohtani to secure additional funds. Seymour expressed disbelief regarding Mizuhara's ability to authentically make such claims if Ohtani had indeed authorized the wires.
In response to inquiries about the impact of these findings, MLB had previously stated they regarded Shohei Ohtani as a fraud victim, essentially closing the investigation on the league level. Bowyer, now almost a year post-sentencing, reflected on the turmoil caused by these incidents.
Bowyer, serving a 12-month sentence for illegal gambling and money laundering, has since been placed on Nevada's exclusion list, permanently banning him from casinos in the state. Multiple casinos agreed to pay large penalties linked to Bowyer's betting practices, totaling $34 million. Bowyer shared, "Ippei was financing my Vegas lifestyle at the highest possible level," shedding light on his past dealings.
ESPN's documentary series "The Betrayal of Shohei Ohtani" continues, with forthcoming episodes diving into Bowyer's gaming operations and revealing more about the intertwining lives affected by this scandal. Bowyer's perspective on the nuances of gambling within baseball emerges, as he points out that Ohtani would not engage in betting at all — stating, "He wouldn’t gamble $5, so you don’t just start gambling $40 million."
As the investigation continues to unravel details nearly two years later, the focus is now on finding clarity in Ohtani's knowledge or involvement before the major unfolding of events on March 20, 2024. Bowyer concluded, "There are only two people who know the whole truth, and that’s Ippei and Shohei."
