Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels rising superstar, may be the template for a new breed of future baseball players. Ohtani is one of the first duel pitchers and hitters since the hall of famer, and probably most well known player in all of MLB history, Babe Ruth. Already this season, Ohtani is throwing an impressive 2.08 ERA while having the highest strikeout rate of any other pitcher on the roster. He is also batting a .364 and has the highest slugging percentage, even over slugging greats such as Mike Trout.
As impressive as these stats are, compared to other MLB players, Ohtani has a very small sample size. Even with his impressive performances, Ohtani is not actually playing that much. Ohtani has to have six days rest between his pitching outings, and is not allowed to hit on the day directly before or after those starts. In the first 13 games that the Angels have played this season, Ohtani only has two starts and 24 plate appearances.
Fans and Ohtani himself believe that he deserves to get more playing time. Ohtani told ESPN that, “It’s the beginning of the season, so I think they are being pretty careful with me right now. Once the season gets tougher throughout the summer, hopefully I can make them want to play me more. If not, that’s what it is. I have to follow what they say.”
There’s good reason why the Angels are being so careful with their rising star. Ohtani is only 23 years old, and the organization would like to keep him around for as long as possible. Baseball is a long and at times grueling sport that takes its toll especially on pitchers. With over 160 games in a season, it’s important that players get their rest. There’s also the fact that duel pitching and hitting players are extremely rare, not just currently, but throughout all of MLB history. The Angels are experimenting with Ohtani’s playing time because there is no sure fire way of handling the situation.
Kyle Stoddard, a pitcher for the Pleasant Valley baseball team and division II recruit, knows how difficult it is for a player to be both a stellar hitter and pitcher. “Pitchers are usually referred to as PO’s, or pitcher only, because of the amount of time they spend pitching,” he said. “They generally don’t hit as well because they don’t have the time to hit with the rest of the team.”
Hopefully, as the season continues, fans will be able to see Ohtani receive the extra playing time he deserves; watching Ohtani play is absolutely amazing. The one time that Ohtani was able to play three games in a row, he homered in each game. Ohtani has a bright future ahead that every MLB fan is excited to experience.
