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Los Angeles Angels: Is Shohei Ohtani MLB’s next great Superstar?

By Phil Akre

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 03: Shohei Ohtani
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 03: Shohei Ohtani /
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Booming home runs, power from the mound and a true superstar on the rise, Los Angeles Angels two-way threat Shohei Ohtani looks legit. Only one question remains; can he join the game’s elite to become one of baseball’s true superstars?

There was never a doubt that Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani was going to be good in the major leagues. There was doubt surrounding his skills translating over to the plate and the mound.

Through just three games, he appears ready to revolutionize the game.

That’s not a hot take or an exaggerated stance on Ohtani, who is slashing an absurd .429/.429/.857 through his first 14 at-bat’s. This is the most likely scenario. The Japanese-import seems primed to live up to his much-hyped trip to the United States.

With two home runs and five RBI’s in 14 at-bat’s, he looks like a real threat at the plate.

The hot start won’t last, but it’s certainly a good sign for the Angels, who, without, Mike Trout, wouldn’t make much noise this year.

Ohtani has the look of a superstar, but not necessarily the mind of the prototypical star. He is quiet, holding himself accountable and humble. In his piece for Sports Illustrated in April of 2017, Jon Wertheim gave MLB fans an idea of how he operates.

"“The central character (Ohtani) is a modest 22-year-old who lives in a drab team dorm and doesn’t drink alcohol or own a car. Ohtani says that the physical demands of both starting and batting cleanup have never been an issue. Nor has he had a problem harnessing the focus his unusual skillset required.”"

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Ohtani proved this when he chose the Los Angeles Angels in what seemed to be a surprising and random choice to outsiders, given he had the choice between virtually any team he wanted. It wasn’t about the publicity or the money.

It was about whichever team the best situation for himself. 

It’s safe to say we haven’t seen a superstar with the modesty, quiet nature and productivity in quite a while.

His reaction to his first home run at Angel Stadium, you ask? “I was happy,” he said to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Now, back to his game. Many are saying that the sport hasn’t seen a talent like him since Babe Ruth.

Believe it, because these two are quite comparable, at least in some sense. The following is a comparison of their most similar seasons on the mound.

Ruth (1918): 166.1 IP, 19 GS, 2.22 ERA, 40 K’s, 49 BB’s, 125 hits

Ohtani (2015 in Japan): 160.2 IP, 22 GS, 2.24 ERA, 196 K’s, 46 BB’s. 100 hits

I realize Ohtani is not Ruth, nor will any other player ever be Ruth. The point is that Ohtani has the chance to special on the mound and on the field, which is something no one has done well since Ruth.

In his first ever start for the Los Angeles Angels, he went six innings allowing three earned runs while striking out six. A fine outing, given it, was his first in the United States.

There’s reason to believe that Ohtani will make most of his living on the mound, where his stats are superior to his offensive numbers.

In his five season in Japan, he hit for a .286 average, with a .859 OPS.

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However, he slashed .322/.416/.588 with a 1.004 OPS, 22 home runs and 67 RBI’s in 2016. The numbers certainly jump out at you until you realize that the pitching in the NPB is inferior to the MLB’s level.

Still, Ohtani will be given a chance to excel on the mound and the dish. By default, he’ll get more chances at the plate than he does on the mound. Regardless, the question remains; will he live up to the hype?

Based on early indications, it’d be hard for him not to.

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