With Less on His Plate, Shohei Ohtani Is Off to Historic Start on the Mound
Sports Illustrated • • sports
Key Points:
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has limited Shohei Ohtani's hitting opportunities recently to preserve his pitching performance and longevity, especially as Ohtani's pitching has improved significantly this season.
- Ohtani has been exceptional on the mound, boasting a historic start with a 0.97 ERA, six quality starts, and elite command of his pitches, despite slight dips in velocity and strikeout rate.
- The Dodgers expect Ohtani to have about 75 fewer plate appearances this year, potentially costing him five or six home runs, but this trade-off is aimed at keeping him fresh and maximizing his pitching effectiveness.
- Ohtani has refined his pitching mechanics post-elbow surgery, adopting a smoother arm swing and more efficient delivery to reduce stress on his arm, contributing to his improved command and groundball rates.
- While Ohtani remains a two-way player at heart, his focus on pitching has led to speculation that he could contend for the Cy Young Award, fulfilling a key goal on his baseball bucket list.
