OHTANI’S ANGELS Shohei Ohtani throws a pitch 4 Shohei Ohtani was ready to throw Standing on the pitcher’s mound he lifted his left leg His knee rose to his chest He stepped forward and threw the ball more than 90 miles 145 km per hour Strike
facts AT A GLANCE Date of birth July 5 1994 Position designated hitter DH and pitcher League Major League Baseball MLB Professional highlights started his pro baseball career in Japan pitched and played DH in the 2021 MLB all star Game had 46 home runs in 2021 Personal highlights grew up in Oshu Japan began playing baseball in second grade lifted 495 pounds 225 kg in an Instagram video 5
Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels faced off against the Detroit Tigers in August 2021 Ohtani’s pitches zoomed across home plate Some of them curved and sank They were even harder to hit Ohtani didn’t allow a run until the fifth inning Ohtani is one of the best pitchers in MLB He’s also one of the league’s most powerful hitters In the eighth inning he came up to bat with his team ahead 2 1 Ohtani begins to run around the bases after hitting a home run during a 2021 game against the Detroit Tigers 6
The pitch flew over the middle of home plate Crack Ohtani swung and sent the ball soaring 430 feet 131 m into the outfield seats The home run was Ohtani’s 40th of the season He also set an Angels record for most home runs in a season by a left handed batter Ohtani’s blast gave the Angels a two run lead but he wasn’t finished He pitched the bottom of the eighth inning and retired three batters The Angels won 3 1 Ohtani’s fans and teammates were amazed by his performance Even Tigers manager A J Hinch was impressed Obviously he’s an incredibly special talent and we got to witness all of it firsthand tonight Hinch said 7
