At this point, we are used to Shohei Ohtani dominating headlines. He’s the only two-way player in the majors, he is in the middle of the most dominant season baseball has ever seen, he’s the most popular athlete in the sport, and so much more.
Batting .304 with a league-leading 44 home runs while also holding a 3.14 ERA and 10-5 record as a starting pitcher is all types of crazy on a historical, physical and mental level.
However, to teammate Mike Trout, who has also struggled to stay healthy recently, there’s no question that Ohtani will return to the mound.
“No doubt,” Trout said.
(Via @DeeshaThosar)
There is some doubt, however, that Ohtani could ever pitch in an Angels uniform again. Despite a now-cloudy future as a pitcher, Ohtani is still very likely to demand a high price tag when he becomes a free agent after the 2023 season.
Ohtani has expressed multiple times that above anything else, he wants to be in a winning situation. The Angels had their shot to prove they are a winning team, and their chances of making the playoffs are getting closer and closer to the chances of me hitting 44 home runs in a season.