OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts during their game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on March 30, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
There’s no better baseball player in the world than Los Angeles Angels outfielder/pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese superstar can do it all.
Ohtani is the kid we all grew up with who was the best at everything in the neighborhood, except he does that in Major League Baseball. His talent is truly unfathomable.
In 2021, Ohtani was the AL MVP, making him just the second Japanese player to win the award, with Ichiro in 2001 being the other. And, he may have been even better in 2022, but was beaten out for MVP by the historic season Aaron Judge put together.
Last year, Shohei Ohtani slugged his way to 34 homers and 95 RBI’s and pitched to a 2.33 ERA in 166 innings. Those numbers in one player don’t even make sense. And, he’s about to get paid this offseason, as he is about to be a free agent.
Thank goodness he is a free agent, because this guy has to get off the agent. Despite the team having him and Mike Trout, they haven’t made the playoffs in Ohtani’s tenure. The franchise is a trainwreck.
That was on full display on opening day. Shohei Ohtani was the opening day starting pitcher and hit third in the lineup. And, he was tremendous. He threw six scoreless innings with ten strikeouts, and was 1-3 with a walk at the plate, with his hit being a part of the Angels rally to take the lead 1-0 in the fifth.
Shohei Ohtani, Frisbee 85mph Sweeper. 🥏
22 inches of horizontal break 😯 pic.twitter.com/GZzJbn6mbq
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 31, 2023
Heat 101 with Professor Ohtani. pic.twitter.com/9ddL62oix9
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2023
But, the Oakland A’s scored two runs off Aaron Loup in the eighth, and the Angels lost, 2-1.
Look at the Green and Gold taking a dub away from Shohei Ohtani. Shout out Vandy. pic.twitter.com/KYKgRjYSQV
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) March 31, 2023
This play sums it up. Ohtani throws a filthy breaking ball and induces a foul pop-up, only for Brandon Drury to be in la-la land and not catch it.
Baseball fans: The Angels have Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. How come they never win?
The Angels: pic.twitter.com/0ixaRDfcjD
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) March 31, 2023
Please, Angels owner Arte Moreno, free this man, so he can play meaningful baseball. We saw what he did in the World Baseball Classic, winning tournament MVP and leading Japan to the championship. He needs to be playing in October.