Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani has set the baseball world on fire with his abilities in the batter’s box and on the mound. He is hoping to do the same in the World Baseball Classic.
Ohtani was one of the first 12 players officially named to the Samurai Japan roster ahead of the WBC. When asked about what type of role he is hoping for, Ohtani said that he is hoping to fill that same two way role he does with the Angels.
Shohei Ohtani should be in familiar role for World Baseball Classic
This is a chance for Ohtani to finally make his presence felt in the tournament. He had missed the 2017 WBC due to an ankle injury, delaying his arrival in front of a worldwide audience. It is possible that his absence contributed to their disappointing third place showing in the most recent tournament as Ohtani had already established himself as a two way star in Japan.
Ohtani could be a part of what would be a dominant rotation that includes Yu Darvish and Roki Sasaki. He has displayed his impressive talent on the mound over the past two years as he is finally healthy, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 1.046 WHiP over his 296.1 innings, striking out 375 batters with 88 walks. He has proven that he can be one of the few true aces left in the majors, someone whose dominance makes it possible for him to shut down any team.
His dominance is also evident in the batter’s box. He has produced an impressive 151 OPS+ in his 1305 plate appearances over the past two seasons, hitting 80 homers and 56 doubles while stealing 37 bases. He is a game changer by every definition of the word.
It would be fair to say that he will be facing high expectations in the tournament. Ohtani alone could be the difference in any game due to his sheer dominance in every facet. If the Japanese team is going to bring the WBC title back home, he will be a key part of those hopes.
Shohei Ohtani is hoping to continue his two way role with the Japanese National Team for the World Baseball Classic. There is no reason why he should not be able to.