Shohei Otani Shows Potential in First Game Back on Mound

It had been some time since Shohei Otani took the mound. Despite some obvious rust, the Japanese superstar showed his incredible potential.

At this point, Shohei Otani is no longer a secret. Considered the best player not in the majors currently, Otani has become an intriguing player due to his ability on both sides of the ball. Not only is he considered to be one of the best pitchers in Japan, but he is also a power hitting right fielder. It is understandable why he would be termed the Japanese Babe Ruth.

This season, Otani has been slowed by injury, plagued by ankle and thigh issues that kept him from the World Baseball Classic. Those same issues had kept him off the mound virtually all season, as he had just 1.1 innings in his only outing. In making his return to the mound on Thursday, there was a good deal of anticipation as to how well he would perform.

In addition to the anticipation of how Otani would perform, there was a degree of increased scrutiny at the game. Representatives for 15 different teams were at his outing, fueling the speculation that Otani would head to the majors after this season. A solid performance would only increase that fervor.

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Otani’s outing produced mixed results. He showed off his impressive fastball, routinely hitting the upper 90s, and even reaching 100 MPH. However, his command was understandably spotty, given that he had not been on the mound for some time. The final results were less than stellar as well, as Otani allowed four earned runs in his 3.1 innings.

Nonetheless, the performance was enough to tantalize. Dreams of what Otani could be, a legitimate two way star in the majors, just add to his growing legend. As teams have been acquiring international signing slots in a potential effort to sign Otani, his performance on Thursday did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm.

At 23 years old, he will still be subject of spending limits. And, as he is not yet eligible for free agency in Japan, Otani would need to be posted. However, the Nippon Ham Fighters have indicated that, should their star want to head to the majors, they would let him go. With teams stockpiling money, it could be quite the interesting chase, even with those limitations.

Next: Breaking down the AL Wild Card chase

It was a rough outing, but Shohei Otani showed his potential on Thursday. If he is posted, the frenzy to sign him could be unlike anything we have seen.