Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani making bid for 20-20 season

There is seemingly nothing that Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani cannot do. Every time he sets foot on the diamond, either as a hitter or on the mound, he does something to completely amaze. On Tuesday, his latest accomplishment was to destroy a hanging breaking ball, belting the offering 470 feet for the longest homer of his career thus far.

It was just the most recent feat that made baseball fans shake their head in amazement. Not only is he pitching like the ace that the Angels hoped for this season, but he is establishing himself as one of the premier hitters in the game.

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani on pace for impressive season

Heading into Wednesday’s action, Ohtani has put together an impressive season, both on the mound and in the batter’s box. On the pitching side, he has a 2.76 ERA and a 1.157 WHiP over his 42.1 innings, issuing 26 walks, but also striking out 60 batters. His control issues had been more prevalent earlier in the season, as he has issued just seven walks over his last 23.2 innings, striking out 30 batters.

But it is his hitting that is the focus right now. He has produced a .261/.346/.606 batting line in his 231 plate appearances, hitting 13 doubles and 17 homers while stealing nine bases. That production would be impressive from anyone, but it is even more so when this comes from the ace of the Angels’ rotation.

As it stands, Ohtani has played in 91.8% of the Angels’ games this season. If we extrapolate that out over the 162 game schedule, he would appear in approximately 149 games. This puts him on pace for roughly 45 homers and 23 steals, on top of his already impressive pitching performance. Should he reach those marks, Ohtani should be the unquestioned MVP due to his ability to dominate in every facet.

Obviously, a lot needs to happen. He needs to stay healthy, and continue to be in the lineup on the days he pitches for that extrapolation to work. However, considering that the Angels need his bat in the lineup as much as possible, it is likely he will reach that mark for games played provided he remains healthy.

Shohei Ohtani has been impressive already this season. The Los Angeles Angels superstar is on pace for a 20-20 season, furthering his incredible showing.