Shohei Ohtani has set a plethora of records at the plate since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now he is in the midst of his most dominant season as a pitcher.
The two-way star has posted a 6-2 record with a 0.74 ERA, 2.41 FIP, 0.79 WHIP and 9.9 strikeouts per nine in 61 innings across 10 starts thus far.
Will Smith attributed Ohtani’s success to his understanding of various game situations, via Jack Harris of the California Post:
“I think he just has a really good feel for the game,” catcher Will Smith explained. “What hitters are trying to do off him. When to slow guys down, speed guys up, make them a little uncomfortable, attack the zone.
“He’s got good stuff, obviously,” Smith added. “But, yeah, just really good feel for the game.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts agreed with Smith and believes Ohtani’s attention to detail is what sets him apart from other pitchers:
“There’s a lot of nuances that he’s got really good feel [for],” manager Dave Roberts said, echoing Smith’s observation.
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior opined that Ohtani’s hitting responsibilities give him a unique advantage as a pitcher because he understands how batters think:
“He’s got pretty good baseball IQ, when it comes to that,” Prior said. “Because he’s a hitter, he understands how he has to time certain things [when he’s at the plate]. So he knows how to disrupt that timing as best he can.”
In addition to his overall stuff, Ohtani uses other tactics to get the best of hitters. He will often mix pitch speeds based on the game situation, manipulate the pitch clock, and use a slide step in his delivery to throw batters off.
All of the aforementioned attributes have made Ohtani one of the game’s most difficult pitchers to face. If he can maintain his success, the 31-year-old could become the first Japanese pitcher in MLB history to win a Cy Young Award at the end of the season.
However, he also faces a crowded field of potential candidates, including likely-favorite Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Shohei Ohtani’s next start
Ohtani will next take the mound on Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. His 0.74 ERA is the third-lowest mark for a pitcher over his first 10 starts of a season since earned runs became a stat in 1913.
Ohtani is also expected to be the designated hitter in the Dodgers lineup, but it’s not yet decided if he will get a day off on Thursday.
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