LA Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani’s Favorite Fast Food Burger Is an American Classic

To know me is to know that I’m a fair-weather fan when it comes to sports. There are three main ways to get me interested: good food on the table, my home team winning, and learning what all those unbelievably talented athletes eat. And sure, while I’m happy to learn that pro and former pro athletes fuel their bodies with healthy foods like Eli Manning’s routine fruit bowl and TJ Watts’ daily oatmeal, it’s more fun to learn that star athletes are, indeed, *just like us.*

I’m talking Patrick Mahomes’ penchant for late-night Doritos and Simone Biles’ unabashed love for the Texas favorite, Whataburger. Because is there anything more fun than learning that even your favorite athletes enjoy a trip to the drive-thru from time to time? And that’s certainly the case with Los Angeles Dodgers star and modern-day Babe Ruth, Shohei Ohtani—whose go-to fast food burger is mine, too.

Shohei Ohtani’s Favorite Fast Food Burger

If you’re somehow not familiar with Shohei Ohtani (or “Shotime” as he’s affectionately known), you should be. Ohtani is considered by many a once-in-a-generation talent and the top Major League Baseball (MLB) player of our time, especially after he clinched the largest contract in professional sports history with the LA Dodgers in 2023. The four-time All-Star and two-time American League MVP is also leading the Dodgers to the 2024 World Series, where they will face the New York Yankees.

Although Ohtani hails from Japan, it would appear that his six years playing in the MLB on LA teams—first the Angels, then the Dodgers—have had an effect on the player’s cravings. In a 2022 interview, when asked to pick his favorite American food, Ohtani had his answer ready to go: “In-N-Out,” he replied, not missing a beat.

This is not the only time Shotime has professed his love for the California-based burger chain. In an interview with Japanese media, Ohtani was asked to pick between pizza and hamburger. His reply: burger, specifically In-N-Out.

And Ohtani is in good company opting for In-N-Out. In addition to being my personal favorite fast food burger, it’s also the top pick for countless celebs ranging from Kelly Ripa and Zendaya to Gordon Ramsey. The chain also took top spot when we polled chefs for their favorite fast food cheeseburger.

Even Ohtani’s biggest competition in the upcoming World Series is on his side when it comes to fast food chains. In an interview just days ago, Yankees’ star Aaron Judge admitted he looks forward to hitting the In-N-Out drive-thru when he’s on the West Coast. So, no matter how tough the series gets, these baseball rivals can agree that the best way to celebrate the season coming to a close is with a Double-Double and some Animal-Style fries.

If you, like me, will be tuning into the World Series from a state without an In-N-Out location, don’t fret. Turns out that beloved Double-Double isn’t so hard to recreate at home after all.