Watch: LA Dodgers Translator Crushes 405-lb Deadlift Challenge From Pitcher Kenley Jansen
Nicknamed "Will the Thrill," the much-beloved Will Ireton—who serves as an interpreter for Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda—was up to the locker room challenge.
This could not be more true of Will Ireton, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as an interpreter for Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda. Affectionately nicknamed “Will the Thrill,” Ireton has become a key player when it comes to team chemistry (and antics): Last season, the team gifted him a Dodgers jersey with the number “1.8” to play off Maeda’s “18”, and he was even involved in a dress-up day as part of rookie hazing.
But although “Will the Thrill” may not be a professional baseball player, that doesn’t mean he’s one to shy away from a test of strength or pride. So when pitcher Kenley Jansen challenged Ireton to a heavy hex bar deadlift, he went for it, getting the entire team pumped up for spring training as a result.
Living up to his nickname, Ireton absolutely crushed the 405-pound lift. Not only did he crush it, though, he also did it half-naked, proudly repping a Japanese headband, the Dodgers logo painted on his chest, and an *ahem* minimalist competition singlet for the challenge.
Check out the hilariously epic video, posted by pitcher Alex Wood to Instagram, above.
