I first wrote about the real-life Steve Nebraska potentially coming to the Yankees five months ago, when the 22-year-old Shohei Otani was in the midst of his Pacific League MVP season. Not only did Otani lead his Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to a Japan Series championship, he was also named an NPR All-Star for the third straight season, and is the first player in Pacific League history to be named to the Designated Hitter Best Nine and Pacific League Best Nine as a pitcher.
In 2016, Otani flashed his unique skillset by compiling a .322/.416/.588 slash line with 22 home runs and 67 RBI in just 323 at-bats, while also pitching to the tune of 10-4, with a 1.