ARLINGTON, TEXAS – APRIL 26: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field on April 26, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani is throwing absolute filth that is nearly impossible for opposing batters to hit.
Shohei Ohtani is making history in 2021 with the Los Angeles Angels by playing both ways. One minute Ohtani is hitting a home run and the next he is back on the mound, mowing down opposing batters.
Ohtani has made three starts as a pitcher this season and his latest came Monday night against the Texas Rangers. He racked up nine strikeouts in five innings and finally got his first win of the season.
He has some impressive pitches in his arsenal and that includes a slider that is simply unhittable. See for yourself.
Shohei Ohtani’s magical backdoor slider
That pitch starts in the other batter’s box, only to slide back in at the last second. All any hitter can do is stand and watch because there is no way to pick that up out of his hand. The batter would have to guess that the slider is coming, but the initial glimpse would still look like a ball way out of the zone.
The Angels have won all three games Ohtani has started as a pitcher and the five innings he lasted Monday was his longest outing so far. The best thing about Ohtani is he can provide his own run support.
Have a bad inning? Well he did allow four runs in the bottom of the first inning Monday, only to hit a two-run double in the top of the second. He drove in two and came around to score three times in the 9-4 victory.
Ohtani is already dominating at the plate and is only ramping up again as a full-time starter. Given he can stay healthy, there is no one else like him in the game today.