Category: Japanese Baseball

Shohei Ohtani Signs with Angels; Aims To Become Next Babe Ruth

Any comparisons to Babe Ruth are subject to hyperbole, but the exploits of 23-year-old Shohei Ohtani give us reason to believe the Japanese — and soon-to-be Los Angeles Angels —  star could be the next great two-way ball player.

The 2016 Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball was the first Japanese professional baseball player to hit 10 or more homers and win 10 or more games as a pitcher in the same season.  The only player in major league history  to score a double-double was Ruth, who stroked 11 home runs and won 13 games for the 1918 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

Ohtani’s 2016 season was one of the best in Japanese history when he boasted a 10-4 record with a 1.86 ERA.  The right-handed flamethrower posted a 0.95 WHIP while averaging 11.2 strikeouts and 2.9 walks per nine innings.  Moonlighting as a left-handed-hitting DH, the 6-foot-4 Ohtani slugged 22 home runs while hitting .322 with a whopping 1.004 OPS in 104 games.  With five professional seasons under his belt, Ohtani had a 42-15 record  with a 2.52 ERA in Japan.  He hit .286 with 48 homers and 163 RBI in 403 games, not to mention a.859 OPS.

Japanese baseball isn’t quite the  Major League Baseball, but  it’s step ahead of AAA-ball.  There is no question that Ohtani’s overall skills are off the charts.  Major League Pacific Rim scouts have long marveled at Ohtani’s skills, referring to him as the “modern-day Babe Ruth”.  A top-of-the rotation pitcher and a potentially middle-of-the-order slugger all in one, Ohtani throws a high-90s fastball that has reportedly topped out at 103 mph — the fastest ever thrown by a Japanese player. He uses a  low-90s forkball to keep hitters off balance with a changeup still a work in progress and is viewed as a major-league-ready top of the rotation pitcher.

Ohtani still has some holes to fill in his swing, but has natural power and a keen eye at the plate.  Showing off a powerful uppercut swing, the potential Angels clean up hitter has been compared to . Otani played 62 games as a corner outfielder his first two years as a professional.  A sprained ankle early in the 2014 season quickly put an end to Otani’s outfield duties.  With additional ankle woes that limited his time on the field last season last season, Ohtani was used exclusively as a DH when not pitching over the last three years.

 

Ohtani yearned to pitch and hit in the majors, to compete against the best in the world as a pitcher and a hitter since he was started

 playing.  The questions ahead for Ohtani, Mike Scioscia and the Angels brain trust are complicated:  How will he deal with the pressures associated with becoming the “modern day Babe Ruth”?  How will the  Angels schedule his workload between and during pitching assignments?  What happens when he hits a wall? It w

ill happen.  Afterall, Ohtani is human … we think.  When his pitching suffers due to the daily grind at the plate, do the Angels put his hitting duties on  the back burner?

otaniScioscia, a former catcher, has proven adept at running a pitching staff and the Angels have never hesitated to thinkout of the box. Based on Ohtani’s past success, the Angels will likely simulate his Japanese work routine as much as possible. This means the Angels will implement a six-man rotation for an entire season. He will likely DH when he’s not pitching and sit the day before pitching.  The chronic ankle injuries will keep Ohtani from playing first base or right field on a regular basis.  Although Ohtani insists on being a two-way player, pitching will be the priority for the Angels.  Ohtani has yet to reach his prime, which means great things are ahead.  The question is: How long will his body allow him to be a two-way player?  Ruth was only able to do it for four and one half years.

 

What the Angels and Ohtani are doing is ground breaking.  Their success — or lack of success — will have significant implications on the  future of baseball.  The mystery surrounding Ohtani’s skills and how they are implemented by the Angels will be the biggest storyline of the 2018 season. You can count Ohtani baseball cards to be the most coveted cards from now through the 2018 season. Ohtani’s first baseball card was an insert in Japan’s Sports Card Magazine #97 released in January 2013. It was a promo card for the 2013 BBM Rookie Edition set and is selling for $30.  His 2017 Bowman Chrome Refractor World Baseball Classic is selling for $160 and is on the rise.  He and teammate Mike Trout will be among the most collectible players of the year.

Japan’s Shohei Otani, The Next Babe Ruth?

Any comparisons to Babe Ruth are subject to hyperbole, but the recent exploits of 22-year-old Shohei Otani give us reason to believe the Japanese star could be the Major League’s next great two-way ball player.

The recently-named Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball became the first professional league Japanese player to hit 10 or more homers and win 10 or more games as a pitcher in the same season.  The only player in major league history  to score a double-double was Ruth, who stroked 11 home runs and won 13 games for the 1918 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

Otani is coming off one of the greatest seasons in Japanese history, boasting a 10-4 record with a 1.86 ERA.  The right-handed flamethrower posted a 0.95 WHIP while averaging 11.2 strikeouts and 2.9 walks per nine innings.  Moonlighting as a left-handed-hitting DH, the 6-foot-4 Otani slugged 22 home runs while hitting .322 with a whopping 1.004 OPS in 104 games.  After four professional season, Otani is 39-13-2.49 as a pitcher while batting .275 with 40 homers and an .838 OPS.

Pacific Rim scouts have referred to Otani as the “modern-day Babe Ruth”.  A top-of-the rotation pitcher and a middle-of-the-order slugger all in one.  Otani throws a high-90s fastball that has reportedly topped out at 103 mph. He uses a  low-90s forkball to keep hitters off balance. His changeup, which he hasn’t needed to this point, still a work in progress.  

With natural power and a keen eye at the plate, Otani projects to be a legitimate major league hitter.  Otani played 62 games as a corner outfielder his first two years as a professional.  A sprained ankle early in the 2014 season quickly put an end to Otani’s outfield duties.  He has been used exclusively as a DH when not pitching over the last two years.

Otani yearns to pitch and hit in the majors, to compete against the best in the world as a pitcher and a hitter.  The questions ahead are complicated:  How does he walk away from Japan and gain entrance to the majors at such a young age?  Is there a major league team that will break the bank to sign Otani and allow him to hit between pitching assignments?

Otani cannot test the free agent waters until accumulating nine seasons in the Nippon Professional
League.  However, the Nippon Ham Fighters can — and reportedly will — allow Otani entrance into the majors via the posing system at the conclusion of the 2017 season.  The Fighters will surely receive the maximum $20 million posting fee from the major league team that would sign Otani.  With revenues on the rise for MLB and free agent contracts spiraling upward — not to mention the mystery surrounding the next potential international star — could mean a long-term contract breaking $200 million for Otani, according to published reports.

Several Major League teams — including the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rangers — expressed interest in Otani four years ago. As a high school two-way player, Otani led his team to the Koshien Championshipship.  The Fighters were able to convince Otani that his only chance to excel as a two way player would be in Japan.  

A year from now several teams will be will likely be willing to empty the vault for his services.  His decision may hinge on which team allows him to pitch and hit on a regular basis.  Will an American League team allow Otani to DH or play the outfield two or three times a week?  Is he better suited to pitch — and hit for himself — in the National League?  Will batting just every fifth day satisfy his appetite?  Will pitching every fifth day opposed to every sixth day (as he does in Japan) affect his workload as a pitcher or hitter?  Questions that possible suitors and Otani need to answer in what looks to be a fascinating 2017 off season.

Otani is expected to display his baseball skills globally in the World Baseball Classic next spring. Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo is planning to use him as a pitcher, DH, and pinch hitter.

Otani’s first baseball card was an insert in Japan’s Sports Card Magazine #97 released in January 2013. It was a promo card for the 2013 BBM Rookie Edition set.  Expect this card and other Otani rookies to gain significant interest during the WBC.