Shohei Othani broke down this seemingly invisible barrier that a two-way player would never be successful at the MLB level. The only TWENTYTHREE-year-old won the 2018 Rookie of The Year award despite only playing in 104 games with Angels. In that time he posted an ERA of 3.31 with 63 strikeouts over 51 and 2/3rds innings of work. With the bat, Ohtani hit .285, had a .925 OPS, 22 home runs, 61 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 367 plate appearences. Ohtani made history becoming the only player other than Babe Ruth to have ten pitching appearances and twenty home runs in the same season. The only question is what will be his limitations after returning from not only Tommy John Surgery, but a minor knee operation that pushed back his throwing program late last year.
“When Ohtani does return — roughly six weeks into the start of the season — he will pitch once a week, not every five games, which means the Angels will technically field a six-man rotation. Initially, at least, he will not be in the lineup the day before or the day after his starts. Hitting on the day of his start, an idea floated by new manager Joe Maddon, will not occur unless the Angels are playing in a National League park.”
Alden GonzalezESPN Staff Writer
Although Ohtani will start the season due to the knee operation not in the rotation, he will be in the lineup as a DH. A new rule established by MLB that designates two-way players allows Ohtani to rehab his arm without heading to the IL, thus allowing him to continue to hit. Although we will only be seeing one side of Ohtani’s game until about six weeks into the season he would still be on track for 20 starts pitching and 100 at bats at DH. Because a two player is an extreme rarity in the MLB, the Angels and manager Joe Maddon must come up with a system that would allow Ohtani to not only succeed both pitching and hitting, but remain healthy all season. Their solution at the moment is quoted above, which would have Ohtani start once a week. At first he would not be in the lineup the day before or after a start, but that may come to change depending on how he feels once he starts doing both again. Hitting on the day of his start would be very unlikely unless they are playing in a National League park. It seems that they would prefer him to focus on one aspect per game, but that may be harder to do if his production at the plate is something they can’t afford to miss. It’s going to be all a rough sketch of a plan that could be manipulated throughout the season to fit Ohtani and the Angels needs.
This is a pivotal year for Ohtani and the Angels, to show the world that two-way players can be successful at the highest level. Their plan and execution could be a blueprint for future major league, college, high school and little league teams that have players that want to both pitch and hit. Why should they have to choose one or the other because one has a higher ceiling, or because a coach told you it’s too hard to do. Ohtani can spark a whole generation of kids who watch him throw a complete game shut out while hitting a home run for the win, and inspire those kids to be just like him. After his 2018 campaign, people started to think that, okay, a two-way player, if handled correctly can be both successful pitching and hitting for a team. On the flip side, Ohtani was never able to finish that season on both ends because of injury. Here come the critics that will tell you that being a two-player is just too difficult on the body, and that you should either focus on the part that’s going to benefit your team the most. Despite the fact that you are extremely gifted on both sides.
I’m really rooting for Ohtani and the Angles to have a very successful and healthy year because it would be amazing for baseball. How exciting it is to have a player, not since Babe Ruth be able to both be a phenomenal pitcher and hitter. The amount of people that would tune into the All-Star game to not only watch Ohtani pitch an inning but get an at bat would greatly increase. To be able to watch him win the home run derby then the next day hit 100 mph pitching during the All-Star game would truly be something special to witness. I want a generation of kids that won’t let one position define them, the idea that if you put in the work, it is very possible to be able to succeed at both. What you have to know is that it takes a special type of player in order to accomplish this feat, the amount of work you have to put in automatically doubles because you are focusing on two aspects of the game. But all it takes is one player to break that barrier and show the world that there’s no such stigma as two-way players. It’s important to understand how much of a valuable asset to a team you become as a two-way player and the fact there hasn’t been a player since Babe Ruth to accomplish this feat is very sad. Hopefully the Angels can show off a successful blueprint that handles players who want to play both positions, so coaches and parents will know the perfect model to put their players in a position to succeed without putting too much stress on the their bodies. The tricky part is that Ohtani is a starting pitcher, thus putting even more stress on his body. If more players were to emerge in the future I can see more of a DH who can close a game or pitch an inning out the bullpen, but only time will tell.
The Washed Up Athlete 