Paul Skenes Studied Ohtani’s Sleep Secrets During Japan Trip

Paul Skenes’ Recent Japan Visit Exposes Just How Much He Looks Up to the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani & Yamamoto.

Back in April 2018, a 15-year-old Paul Skenes watched Shohei Ohtani make his pitching debut at Angel Stadium from the stands.

Six years later, Skenes — now a Cy Young Award winner — is taking notes from Ohtani and the Dodgers ace, Ohtani’s compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto, on how to remain in top shape.

After posting consecutive sub-2.00 ERA seasons, Skenes posted a 3.82 ERA and a 10-11 record this year.

His average four-seam fastball velocity dropped from 98.8 mph in 2024 and 98.2 mph in 2025 to 96.8 mph in 2026.

Hence, Skenes is turning to Japan to regain his dominant form in 2027.

In his recent trip to Japan, Skenes revealed how much he follows Ohtani and Yamamoto.

According to Dodgers Nation, Skenes visited the Nihonbashi Nishikawa main store in Tokyo.

There, he underwent a full-body assessment and had custom bedding and a pillow made for him.

Skenes also spotted a life-size cutout of Shohei Ohtani in the store.

He said, “Everyone in America knows how much Shohei values sleep and recovery. Knowing that I can sleep in the same top-tier environment as him is very reassuring.”

The two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani, prioritizes rest to handle the physical demands of a 162-game season.

Getting 12 hours of sleep per day is a key part of Ohtani’s routine in order to recover after each game.

He splits his rest time between 10 hours of daily sleep and a 2-hour pre-game nap.

Notably, the Japanese phenom does not use an alarm clock and prefers to wake up naturally.

However, for all these factors to work out perfectly, Ohtani needs the correct bedding.

Japanese company Nishikawa provides him with exactly that.

Ohtani partnered with Nishikawa, which 3D-scanned his body to build a custom $3,000 medium-firm mattress and a firmer-than-average custom pillow.

During road games, Ohtani carries a portable version of his Nishikawa mattress as a topper for hotel beds.

Though Ohtani has yet to win the Cy Young Award, this routine has clearly helped the four-time MVP to remain at the top of his game.

Despite his struggles this year, Ohtani posted a stellar 1.79 ERA across 10 starts before he was shut down from pitching.

He batted .275 with 30 home runs and 81 RBIs amid injury setbacks.

Furthermore, Ohtani is also one of the top contenders for the NL MVP for the third consecutive season.

Hence, Skenes found it worth looking into the secrets of Ohtani’s continued success, especially after the Pirates’ ace struggled this season.

Now, the 24-year-old will be using custom bedding from the same Japanese company as Ohtani.

While Ohtani is someone Paul Skenes looks up to, Yoshinobu Yamamoto equally inspires him as a pitcher.

When asked about the pitchers he currently admires, Skenes put Yamamoto right at the top of the list.

He said that Yamamoto is the best example in the major leagues of how different pitches can create a synergistic effect.

He noted how Yamamoto uses his fastball effectively to set up his curveball and splitter.

Skenes also highlighted Yamamoto’s process.

He stated, “There is a very clear intention behind every movement, and his routine between starts is incredibly meticulous. That is precisely why I believe Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a true pitcher.”