The Japanese American National Museum held an exciting Shohei Ohtani lookalike contest Saturday afternoon in Little Tokyo, and a man from Orange County was crowned the winner.
Joseph Ma was one of several contestants who participated and was chosen as the winner by an audience vote. He won $17 (since Ohtani's jersey number is 17) and a prize from the museum's gift shop.
Ma, who's a big Dodgers fan, said several of his friends messaged him about the contest on Instagram and encouraged him to do it. He said he's been told plenty of times that he looks just like the Dodgers star.
"My favorite is getting free shots for it, so that's always a bonus," he joked.
So what got him the win?
"I would say like my eyes, maybe my cheeks, I think, are pretty similar to Ohtani's," he said.
Many Instagram users think it's his smile that sealed the deal.
The contest was held to celebrate the museum's baseball exhibit, which explores the history of baseball in the Japanese American community.
To learn more, visit the museum's website.