Shohei Ohtani reveals wife is former WJBL player Mamiko Tankaka

The 2024 Seoul Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres brings regular-season MLB action to South Korea for the first time.

Many stars, including Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, are en route to the showdown, but on Thursday the attention shifted from what will happen at the Gocheok Sky Dome to Ohtani’s love life.

Ohtani shared a photo with his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, for the first time. He announced their marriage via Instagram on Feb. 28, but didn’t include her name or an image in his original post.

The photo revealed that the two-way star isn’t the only athlete in their household.

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are ready for #SeoulSeries! 🇰🇷

(via shoheiohtani/IG) pic.twitter.com/QESxA7SoKm

— MLB (@MLB) March 14, 2024

Tanaka, a 5-foot-11 forward, spent four seasons in the Women’s Japan Basketball League with the Fujitsu Red Wave.

She signed with the Red Wave in 2019, and the team finished the regular season with a 13-3 record. The Red Wave’s most successful season during Tanaka’s tenure came in 2021. They finished the regular season 17-3, including an 11-1 home record to secure a postseason berth. They won the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, but were swept in the final.

Tanaka shot 47.7% from the field and 69.9% from the free throw line in 28 games last season.

Ohtani and the Dodgers will face the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization at 11 p.m. ET on March 16 and Team Korea on March 18 at 6 a.m. ET before taking on the Padres at 6:05 a.m. ET on March 20 and March 21.