Japanese two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani is already one of the most exciting players in baseball
- Shohei Ohtani made his first major league start on Sunday for the Los Angeles Angels, throwing an impressive six innings against the Oakland Athletics in a 7-4 win.
- Ohtani was one of the most-anticipated players in recent memory, known for his ability as both a hitter and pitcher in Japan.
- Striking out six batters and showing off a 100mph fastball and perfectly placed slider and splitter, Ohtani's first start on the mound could not have gone better.
Shohei Ohtani had his first major league start on Sunday and immediately proved that he's one of the most intriguing players in baseball.
With questions lingering after a somewhat shaky spring training, Ohtani went for six innings against the Oakland Athletics, with 6 strikeouts and just 1 walk. While he gave up 3 earned runs on the day, they all came courtesy of a Matt Chapman home run in the second inning. Ohtani quickly recovered from the misstep, putting down 14 of the next 15 batters he faced and helped the Angels secure a 7-4 win.
In one particularly impressive sequence, Ohtani struck out Matt Olson in just three pitches - hitting triple-digits with his fastball and then leaving him guessing with offspeed pitches to follow.
Ohtani has been one of the most compelling characters in baseball since the bidding war to land him began this offseason. Just 23 years old, Ohtani has proven himself as both a hitter and pitcher in Japan and has already served as the Angels designated hitter, making him the first player to start as both a pitcher and DH in the same season since Rick Rhoden in 1988, according to statistician Ryan Spaeder.
While he's had just one hit in his five plate appearances so far for the Angels, he hasn't been overwhelmed by Major League pitching, having already played professionally in Japan for five years. Still, it's his pitching that currently has Angels fans dreaming about their team's newfound potential - showing off a 100mph fastball to go along with a slider and splitter that he controls with excellent placement.
It's too early to tell what will become of Ohtani's career in the majors, but it's tough to imagine a stronger first start for the young player.