Real or Not: Shohei Ohtani gave a test of why the expectation was legitimate

After seeing Shohei Ohtanii make his debut in a big league mound, a little advice: Let this develop on its own. Let's not rush any judgment. Let's appreciate the athlete, applaud the attempt to achieve something that has not been done in 100 years and let's relax and enjoy performances like the one he gave us on Sunday. The expectation around Ohtani calmed down a bit after a spring camp that did not impress anyone, but the regular season started and the Japanese showed what he has, which makes his potential as a pitcher exciting by reaching 100 miles a couple of times in the Radar and averaging 97.8 miles with his straight, reaching 98 in his last job entry in the sixth and retiring 14 of the last 15 rivals he faced. This is the pitcher that everyone dreamed of signing.

The Anaheim Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 7-4 with Ohtani recording the victory. It was not a perfect exit. In the second inning, the Asian left hanging a slider that Matt Chapman converted into a three-run home run. The control of his fastball was hesitant at times and his slider inconsistent, although it was fine-tuned as the game progressed. The most impressive thing was how he took control after Chapman's home run and did not let an error affect him. After a long break in the top of the sixth inning, Ohtani finished his job by withdrawing quickly and in order to the A's in eight pitches. What he showed was impressive. Indujo 18 swings without hitting the ball -the Angels' starters achieved that only three times in 2017 and only one pitcher, Alex Colome, generated more faults by triggering swings in his first start in the last 10 seasons.Follow these VIP soccer predictions to get the best possible odds.

The splitter will definitely be your best weapon to strike out, after using it in five of the six chocolates you prescribed. Ohtani tended to push his fastball too far away from right-handed hitters when he tried to put the ball in the outside corner and sometimes the slider sometimes looked like a slow curve. Based on the readings of the Statcast pitches, the Japanese has two splitters, one that goes down and one that moves horizontally. In the preseason, he kept hitting the straights on the ground, but he only did that a couple of times on Sunday, a sign that he loosens the ball more consistently. Ohtani only made a clear expression of excitement, when he pitched a 2-2 pitch into Chapman in the fourth inning and shook his head, however, then struck out Chapman with a 3-2 splitter. The competitiveness of Ohtani is evident and, perhaps, that is what we saw on Sunday: the spring camp is just a way to prepare for the season and Ohtani kept his routine and kept his arsenal for when it mattered, so the problems during the preseason may have been just a matter of being rusty. You must deal with a ball that is slightly different from the one used in Japan, where the ball is softer and with larger seams, in addition to changes in culture.

And the Japanese must adjust under intense scrutiny. The Athletics gave 240 accreditations only to members of the Japanese media. When Ohtani left the dugout to warm up, a large group of photographers followed him and temporarily blocked his way to the bullpen. As Tim Keown wrote, "The magnitude of this moment should not be minimized." In fact, Ohtani became the first player to start a game as a pitcher and as a designated hitter or position player in the same season since Rick Rhoden with the Yankees in 1988. Rhoden was a pitcher, but that happened only once. . Perhaps you remember Brooks Kieschnick, who started seven games as a fielder or emerging hitter with the Brewers in 2003, but his 42 appearances as a pitcher were reliever. Rick Ankiel won 11 games as a rookie pitcher with the Cardinals in 2000 and later returned to the majors as a fielder. Prior to Rhoden, there was an interesting case with Wllie Smith, who came to the majors as a pitcher in 1963. He had an opening and 14 appearances as a reliever with the Angels until June 1964 with a 2.84 ERA, but the team made him an outfielder. half of the campaign, unbelievably, batting fourth in the order in just his second match in the prairies. However, once he started playing in the gardens, he stopped pitching.

The last player to start at least five games on the hill and five as a position player in the same season was Clint Hartung with the Giants in 1947, so, yes, Ohtani's attempt to play this way is, on its own , amazing. While Ohtani displayed his potential on the hill, there are more questions about his performance in the batter's box. No one denies his talent, but can the Japanese achieve it? In his appearance as a starter on Opening Day, he hit four rolas, one of which went hit, and struck out once. The other day, on MLB Network Radio, former general manager Jim Bowden suggested that Ohtani was a little cheated by throwing straight in, a pitch he had trouble with during the preseason, which can cause a batter to get on the ball. and send it to the floor.