If you want to break into the U.S. performance drink category, you best come prepared. So when Japanese-based beverage brand Syncron decided to enter the game, they showed up with the ultimate ringer on their roster: Shohei Ohtani. Already anointed as the baseball’s GOAT by many, the superstar pitcher and slugger had amassed a worldwide following in first season with the Dodgers through record-setting feats and performances that redefined what was possible within the game.

With the 2025 season underway, the brand was understandably anxious to break into the LA/SoCal markets. The only rub: Ohtani wouldn’t do photo or video shoots during the season. So we tapped one of his favorite forms of storytelling, manga, to create a series of short videos showing how Syncron powers him to accomplish the unthinkable and push himself to keep bettering his best.