"But the fact that you have a foreign player that doesn't speak English, needs an interpreter, believe it or not contributes to harming the game to some degree when that's your box-office appeal," Smith said on ESPN's "First Take." "It needs to be somebody like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, those guys."
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In a statement later, Smith admitted that he had "screwed up" in his comments.
"Let me apologize right now," Smith tweeted. "As I'm watching things unfold, let me say that I never intended to offend ANY COMMUNITY, particularly the Asian Community - and especially SHOHEI Ohtani himself."
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Smith went on to describe Ohtani as "one of the brightest stars in all of sports" who is "making a difference, as it pertains to inclusiveness and leadership."
Smith is expected to discuss his comments on Tuesday's edition of "First Take."