Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
- 146 IP, 170 K, 58 BB, 8 HR, 3.50 ERA—Average of all sources
- 148 IP, 167 K, 56 BB, 17 HR, 3.41 ERA—Best projection (THE BAT)
- 147 IP, 166 K, 57 BB, 19 HR, 3.58 ERA—Worst projection (ATC)
In a somewhat surprising twist, the Angels top MLB prospect, Shohei Ohtani, makes the list of the five most predictable pitchers in 2018. Of course, this is based on projections. Every source has Ohtani with an ERA between 3.41 and 3.58. The range of forecasts for his WHIP is from 1.20 to 1.26.
Ohtani’s 27.00 ERA in spring training is causing many fans to freak out a bit, but it’s a minimal sample size. Wade Davis had a 14.40 ERA in five spring training innings last year, then had a 2.30 ERA in the regular season. Some are speculating that Ohtani should start the season in the minor leagues. He is only 23 years old and trying to make the jump from Japan to the U.S. So far, the Angels haven’t made any rash decisions.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia is confident in Ohtani, saying,
"“I can only say that Shohei’s talent is real. Obviously, we believe in it. We anticipate him being ready to both pitch and hit when the season starts.”"
Next: Mariners fans will go nuts for these donuts
If Ohtani reaches his projections, he and the Angels will be just fine. They aren’t favorites to reach the playoffs this year, but they’re in the conversation. Fangraphs has them with a 23.4 percent chance to be one of the MLB wild card teams.