Mark Ulriksen’s “Shotime”
Françoise Mouly
baseball, los angeles dodgers, spring, athletes
For many fans, the real harbinger of spring is the beginning of baseball season.

On the cover of the May 13, 2024, issue, Mark Ulriksen chose to portray the Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani (nicknamed Shotime), who has been a sensation since his U.S. major-league début in the 2018 season. “He’s among the best pitchers and hitters and fastest base runners in any league,” Ulriksen said. The fact that Ohtani is also now implicated in a financial scandal (his interpreter reportedly stole millions of dollars from Ohtani to pay off gambling debt) has only—for better or for worse—increased his prominence.

For more covers celebrating sports, see below:
For many fans, the real harbinger of spring is the beginning of baseball season.
On the cover of the May 13, 2024, issue, Mark Ulriksen chose to portray the Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani (nicknamed Shotime), who has been a sensation since his U.S. major-league début in the 2018 season. “He’s among the best pitchers and hitters and fastest base runners in any league,” Ulriksen said. The fact that Ohtani is also now implicated in a financial scandal (his interpreter reportedly stole millions of dollars from Ohtani to pay off gambling debt) has only—for better or for worse—increased his prominence. For more covers celebrating sports, see below: