Shohei Ohtani is the star of 2021 MLB All-Star week. He was the top seed in this year’s Home Run Derby and is set to be the starting pitcher for the American League in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, while also being in the starting lineup.
But the party was spoiled Monday night by Juan Soto, who eliminated Ohtani in the first round of the Home Run Derby. While the upset was in order, it did still take two tiebreakers to knock out the great Ohtani.
3-FOR-3!!!@JuanSoto25_ advances on the double swing-off!!! #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/zskxneIhYd
— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2021
Shohei Ohtani eliminated by Juan Soto
Soto was quite the tough first-round matchup for Ohtani, but that is just the way the seeding went. The initial problem for the Los Angeles Angels superstar was a slow start. He was hitting the ball hard early, but not over the fence. Once he found the right swing he was visibly tiring before our eyes.
An early elimination may actually be something the Angels organization was hoping for. The last thing MLB needs is for the two-way star to suffer any sort of injury straining himself in this event. And ultimately, one round of him heading to a tiebreaker will likely end up being the most memorable part of the night, regardless of the final outcome.
For Soto, this is a huge achievement and proves he is still a top name in the game. He clearly overcame any pressure and just used his natural abilities to take down the guy everyone came to the park to see.
Shohei Ohtani winning the Home Run Derby would have been a great story. Ultimately, him leaving the event healthy remains good news.