I've gotta admit something. I was wrong about Shohei Ohtani. I thought he was going to be a bust. I thought there was absolutely no chance the pitcher/hitter thing was going to work. Like I said, I was wrong.
Ohtani started off as a bit of a curiosity. Everyone knew about the numbers in Japan that had the scouts salivating and nearly every team trying to get him. But we hadn't seen it for ourselves. Then, after he struggled in Spring Training, we really weren't sure what all the hype was about. Was he really going to be able to pull it off in the Majors?
Well, it's only been a month. But Shohei Ohtani has been nothing short of amazing. He's taken the baseball world by storm much the way Aaron Judge did last year, and he's proven to be worth every penny the Angels spent to get him. (It also leaves me wondering why the season-opening series in Tokyo next year is Mariners-A's instead of Mariners-Angels.)
As a pitcher, he's made five starts. He's 3-1 with a 4.10 ERA, which seems a bit high, but it reflects a three-run homer against Oakland and three runs in an abbreviated start against Boston that he left after two innings with a blister. His other pitching numbers are spectacular, though. An opponents' batting average of .213 a 1.18 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.
In just his second start, Ohanti threw an absolute gem against the A's on April 8. He retired the first 19 batters he faced and gave up just one hit over seven shutout innings in a 6-1 Angels win. Oh, and he also struck out 12 in the game.
When not pitching, he moonlights as Anaheim's DH. All he's done at the plate is put together a .339 batting average, which would lead all AL rookies if he had enough at bats to qualify. He's belted four home runs, one in his first at bat against Luis Severino on April 27, and one in three straight games from April 3-6 (which happened to be the second, third and fourth games of his Major League career).
On Opening Day, he batted eighth (which was also Judge's lineup spot on Opening Day last year, BTW). Needless to say, he's moved up significantly in the Angels' order since then. And their lineup is definitely better when he's in it than he isn't. (On Ohtani's pre- and post-pitching off days, Luis Valbuena takes his place in the lineup.)
This is still Mike Trout's team, and Albert's pursuit of 3000 hits gave us a different reason to watch the Angels for a little while. But Shohei Ohtani hasn't just been the toast of baseball. He's been one of the primary reasons why the Angels are in first place in the AL West. There's still a lot of season left, but he's the clear front runner for AL Rookie of the Year right now. And the question isn't whether he'll make the All-Star team, it's whether he'll be an All-Star as a pitcher or a hitter.
Of course, there are still some concerns that come into play with Ohtani's dual role. He twisted his ankle running the bases against the Yankees, and he ended up missing a pitching start because of it. It leaves me (and plenty others) wondering how long he'll be able to sustain doing both, and where the Angels value him more. Although, I think that's a no-brainer. He could be an elite starting pitcher. His stuff is that good. And aces are a lot harder to find than DHes.
But none of that seems relevant right now. As it is, he came into the Majors looking to be the first player to both hit and pitch regularly since Babe Ruth a century ago. And so far, he's succeeded. At both.
Whether or not it can continue, who really cares? Let's just enjoy what we're seeing while we can. Because Shohei Ohtani is absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime type of talent. He's doing something we've never seen before and likely won't see again. And proving his doubters wrong in the process.
Is Shohei Ohtani the real deal? Absolutely. Now I know why 29 other teams were wishing they were the Angels. And for the Angels, it seems like a bargain. Ohtani's been all they could've hoped for and more. In fact, that's what he's been for the entire baseball world. Everything we could've wished for. And so much more.
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