Quotes from professional baseball players: words that pierce the heart, filled with effort and passion
Professional baseball players who give their all on the field move our hearts not only with their play, but with their words as well.
How they accumulate effort, how they face their dreams, how they cultivate the mindset to rise after setbacks.
The memorable quotes they’ve spun are filled with messages that gently push forward not only baseball fans, but everyone who takes on challenges each day.
In this article, we’ve picked out words that resonate—spoken by players ranging from current stars to legends of the past.
We hope you find a line that quietly stays by your side in your everyday life.
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Quotes from Professional Baseball Players: Words Filled with Effort and Passion That Pierce the Heart (21–30)
Effort doesn’t betray you—but unless it’s the right kind of effort, it’s meaningless.NEW!Hiromitsu Ochiai
These are thought-provoking words from Hiromitsu Ochiai, who achieved a great deal not only as a player but also as a manager, about the direction of one’s effort.
If you keep working hard, it will lead to results, but if your direction is wrong, you won’t achieve anything; it emphasizes that determining the right direction first is crucial.
It reminds us that, rather than just throwing ourselves into something, we should at times calmly assess the situation and our course.
It also seems like a message that could prompt us to analyze our efforts coolly and reconsider how we move forward.
Life doesn’t create dreams. Dreams create life.Shohei Ohtani
It means that how you spend each day changes depending on the dreams you have.
Rather than just drifting through life, it’s because you have a dream of “I want to become this” that you make an effort and the path you choose changes.
For example, if you dream of becoming a professional baseball player, you’ll get up early to practice and take care of your health.
Even in your studies, if you have a dream like “I want to do this kind of work in the future,” you’ll feel motivated to work hard in subjects you’re not good at.
Dreams aren’t just wishes; they teach us that they have the power to shape our future.
Whether big or small, having a dream is a step that moves your life forward.
I made the best choice and that’s why I’m here now.NEW!Shohei Ohtani
In 2017, Shohei Ohtani transferred to MLB’s Los Angeles Angels.
These words were what he said in an interview about the move when asked, “What if you had come five years earlier?” They express his feeling that he has no regrets about joining the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters after being drafted exclusively by them in 2012.
Having thought as carefully as possible at each moment and made decisions after talking with those around him, the five years he spent with Nippon-Ham were not a detour but the best choice—suggesting that they were an important period in his baseball career.
I want to keep going until I can see my limits.NEW!Shohei Ohtani
These are words from Shohei Ohtani’s book, “Making the Impossible Possible: 120 Thoughts by Shohei Ohtani.” It’s precisely because he holds this belief that he can keep accomplishing things once thought impossible.
“Until you can see the limits” suggests pursuing something to the utmost.
By continuing to take on challenges without giving up, you update who you are and draw out new possibilities.
I imagine there are many failures behind every success, but relentlessly continuing to challenge yourself may be the only path that truly leads to success.
I want to value the process more than the result.NEW!Yu Darvish
These are words from Yu Darvish, who left Japan to thrive as a Major Leaguer, capturing an attitude of enjoying hard work.
He’s not just chasing results—the journey itself matters, and he’s telling us that staying motivated leads to growth.
By focusing closely on the process and keeping a positive mindset, we can achieve even greater outcomes.
It conveys the joy of effort, encouraging us to feel our growth little by little.
Having a rival… it becomes a strong motivation to drive yourself forward.NEW!Koji Uehara
After playing for the Yomiuri Giants, pitcher Koji Uehara went to the United States and found success.
Known as his rival is Daisuke Matsuzaka, who, like Uehara, joined a professional baseball team in 1999; Matsuzaka is also known as Uehara’s rival.
Here is a phrase that captures the kind of relationship in which they are keenly aware of each other and spur one another on.
Many people can relate to the idea that having a rival boosts motivation.
Moreover, the fact that Uehara gets fired up no matter how formidable the opponent—like Matsuzaka—shows the strength of his mental fortitude.
Picking up the “luck” that others have dropped.NEW!Shohei Ohtani
It means that luck isn’t something you just wait for—it’s something you seize through your own actions.
For example, people who willingly do chores no one else wants to do, value greetings, and steadily keep up with small habits will find good opportunities coming their way.
Just like picking up a treasure lying on the road, when you cherish the effort and kindness that others overlook, it eventually turns into “luck.” Remember these words, and value creating future opportunities through your small, everyday actions.
What I value most in my daily practice is concentration. I focus intensely for a short period of time. I don’t think about quantity or quality—I just immerse myself.NEW!Tetsuto Yamada
Tetsuto Yamada, who has set a variety of records by combining power and speed—winning both the home run title with his slugging and the stolen base title—shared his philosophy on practice in the following words.
While people often say “quality over quantity” or “quantity over quality,” he says he doesn’t worry about that; instead, he focuses on sharpening his concentration and immersing himself in practice for short periods of time.
In baseball, many decisive moments are determined by instant concentration, so perhaps it’s important to regularly train yourself to focus on what’s right in front of you.
I can always see a light. I see a light pointing the way forward from here.NEW!Munenori Kawasaki
These are words from Munenori Kawasaki, who made his mark as a player in Japanese professional baseball and the Major Leagues and contributed to the baseball world as a coach, expressing the will to push toward one’s goals.
He tells us that having concrete goals at all times is of utmost importance; because the destination is clearly in sight, we can understand how to move forward.
It also feels like a positive message that if you keep working hard in the right direction, it will lead to results.
These are words you’ll want to remember when you start to feel uncertain about your efforts, and they may even prompt you to reset your goals.
Unless you try, you won’t know whether you’ll get results or not. Wanting the answer first is nothing but coddling yourself.NEW!Kudo Kimiyasu
Kudo Kimiyasu, who played for various teams in Japan and achieved excellent results as a pitcher, went on to succeed as the manager of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks after retiring.
Many people may find themselves struck by these words of his.
Before taking action, plenty of people want to be able to see what the outcome will be before they move.
But according to him, that’s just an excuse; what matters is to take action no matter how things turn out.
His words teach us the importance of not overthinking, but making up our minds and getting moving.