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Where did Shohei Ohtani play before he entered Major League Baseball?

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Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani was drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the first round of the 2012 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) draft. He was an immediate sensation in the NPB, and, because of his popularity, he was voted into the All-Star Game during his rookie season, despite posting mediocre statistics as both a hitter and a pitcher (he had a .238 batting average and a 4.23 earned-run average [ERA] that season). Playing in the outfield and pitching, Ohtani improved over the years as he added muscle to his previously slim frame and began hitting the mammoth home runs that would become his signature. In 2015 he led the NPB with a 2.24 ERA, and the following year he had his best NPB season, not only posting the best ERA in the league (1.86) but also leading the Ham Fighters to Pacific League and Japan Series championships. In December 2017 Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball.