After the first weekend of baseball we have now seen Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher and as the DH for the Angels. He did not disappoint at either position. He singled in his very first at-bat and went on to go 1-5, but his swing looks promising. He made solid contact three times, putting the ball in play at 95, 102, and 104 mph. He has a smooth lefty swing that is quick and compact and is sure to deliver results as he gets more Major League at bats. He looks even more promising as a pitcher. Ohtani made his first start on Sunday and looked dominant. He struck out six over six innings with a fastball sitting around 98 and devastating breaking stuff. He only gave up three hits, one being a home run, and one walk and received the win. Sooner than later, the Angels will be faced with a big question. Do they continue to play him both ways? Can his body handle the grind of pitching and DH’ing? And if not, is he more valuable on the mound or at the plate? The early returns would say he is more valuable on the mound. He has the potential to be dominant in a time in baseball where starting pitching is at a low. Sure, there are some amazing aces, but there isn’t a lot of above average starters in the game right now while there are a lot of great hitters from the left side. In a perfect world Ohtani will continue to do both and excel, but this isn’t a perfect world. One thing is for sure, the Angels will be on the hot seat all year long with how they handle the situation.
