Shohei Ohtani looked ready to lead the Los Angeles Angels to the postseason hours after his team said he would stay.
Shohei Ohtani is a free agent and baseball’s top two-way talent. The Angels defeated the Tigers 6-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at Comerica Park on Thursday. Ohtani’s first shutout. His first career
full game. He blasted his 37th and 38th home homers in the second game. 11-4, Angels.
The Angels trailed the wild-card by three games on Thursday. Ohtani should win his second MVP in three years. His 38 home runs and 1.053 OPS lead the majors. Fourth in pitcher strikeouts with 156. Angels haven’t made playoffs since 2014. Ohtani joined in 2018. On Thursday, perhaps the night before inspired him.
On Wednesday, the Angels traded two minor leaguers for Chicago White Sox pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. The Angels are trade deadline buyers and acquired a top pitcher. Still, Shohei Ohtani is an individual.
He got the first 12 hitters out before Kerry Carpenter got a single to start the fifth inning. No matter, Ohtani just kept Detroit from getting on base, and until the eighth inning, no runner was in scoring
position.
It was his best start of the season and the longest one he had. On April 11 against Washington, he only gave up one hit in seven innings, which was his previous best.
This time, he was less dominant (only eight strikeouts) but stayed longer, giving the Angels exactly what they needed as they start a stretch of 15 games in 14 days.
The bowl? Ohtani went hitless in his five first-game at-bats. In the second game, he hit a two-run and a Shohei Ohtani home run. Ohtani will continue working two jobs in Anaheim.
Shohei Ohtani said after his gem that rumors about his future haven’t changed how he trains. Ohtani is expected to sign with another team this winter because the Angels won’t be able to pay his expected market price of around $500 million and still field a good team. This has led to speculation that Ohtani might be moved before the Angels lose him.
“Obviously, I’ve been with the Angels my whole career,” Ohtani told the Orange County Register between the doubleheader’s games. Great individuals. I like them. No comment. I want to end the season well for the fans and everyone who supports me.”
Before the game, GM Perry Minasian told reporters “nobody believed me” when he declared he wouldn’t trade Ohtani. “A special player who is having a unique season with a team that has a chance to win” was Ohtani. That motivates me to improve the club.”
Friday versus Toronto will be Giolito’s Angels debut. Lopez joined the squad Thursday for the second game of a Detroit doubleheader. Everything is happening quickly in Anaheim, and Ohtani did what was expected of him.
Our Reader’s Queries
How tall and heavy is shohei ohtani?
Ohtani has cleared out his locker in order to focus on getting a procedure done on his elbow.
Why was Ohtani’s locker cleaned out?
In the 2023 regular season, the player had 497 at-bats with an average of .304 and an OPS of 1.066.
What is Shohei Ohtani current batting average?
Shohei Ohtani, a right-handed pitcher, has thrown a whopping 2089 pitches in 2023. He has a wide repertoire of 6 different pitches. Take a look at the location of each of his individual pitches, with a zone chart at the top displaying the density of their locations.