Mike Trout is the greatest player of a generation. Even he can’t help but gush over his Los Angeles Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani.
Everyone in baseball should know by now that we’re watching greatness when it comes to Shohei Ohtani and his incredible season as a hitter and pitcher.
His Angels teammate Mike Trout, who knows a thing or two about greatness, has been witness to it all.
When asked about the best thing he’s seen from Ohtani this season, Trout shared an awesome story.
“I basically told him, ‘Hey man, if they throw you a fastball inside, hit it into the right field seats. If they throw you offspeed down the middle, hit it into center field. If they throw you a sinker down and away, hit it into our bullpen,” Trout said.
In his next at-bat, Ohtani got the fastball and blasted it into the right field seats.
In the eighth inning, he got the sinker and sent it into the Angels’ bullpen.
“That’s the most amazing thing I’ve seen because I basically told him what to do and he did it,” Trout said. “It was pretty incredible. The swing is unbelievable.”
Shohei Ohtani is shocking even Mike Trout
Trout couldn’t remember what game that was, but it sure sounds like what Ohtani did on June 18 in a win over the Tigers. He hit a home run 408-feet into right field in the bottom of the fifth to put LA up 5-0. He came back in the bottom of the eight and smacked one 408 feet into left center.
Ohtani has hit 40 homers this season to lead the majors. He’s batting .269/.363/.638 with his slugging percentage leading the American League. He has an on-base percentage of 1.001. All the while, he’s maintained an ERA of 2.79 with an 8-1 record on the mound.
Unfortunately, Trout hasn’t been able to join him in the Angels’ lineup since May. He’s been out injured with a calf issue and still doesn’t have a timetable for a return.