OC Register: Angels’ Shohei Ohtani hits 100 mph during live BP session

[AngelsWin.com]

TEMPE, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani took another step toward showing the promise he flashed when he starred as a two-way player in the first couple months of the 2018 season.

The Angels reported that Ohtani hit 100 mph with his fastball during a 35-pitch live batting practice session Sunday in an empty Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Ohtani has barely pitched since June 2018, when he suffered an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery. His two outings in the 2020 season were disappointments, as he lacked command and velocity and got hurt again.

After a winter in which he reworked his entire training regimen, Ohtani has so far given the Angels and their fans reason to be optimistic, at least cautiously. Manager Joe Maddon said Ohtani had hit 95 mph during winter workouts. After throwing 90 mph in his first bullpen session, Ohtani threw 97 in his first live BP session Wednesday and hit triple-digits Saturday.

It is likely Ohtani’s next time facing hitters will be in a Cactus League game, although that date hasn’t been set.

This year, the Angels are going to relax the restrictions that have limited Ohtani’s pitching and hitting workloads. They will have a blank slate, leaving Ohtani and the medical staff to decide what he can handle as they go.

“I really like this approach a lot,” Maddon said Saturday morning. “And I think he’s appreciating it, too. I’m just watching him throwing, watching BP the other day, my God. I know it’s batting practice, but I’m talking from a functional, mechanical perspective, everything he’s doing, the way his body’s working right now, exceeds what I saw last year.”

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[Billy_Ball]

 

[failos]

Please stay healthy please stay healthy 

[Revad]

I’m trying to stay calm but as so many have said in different threads, if Ohtani is healthy it’s a different world.  

[Rollinghard]

If Ohtani is 100 mph healthy, we are talking opening day starter. Let's go!  

[ScottT]

Oh, my.

[ten ocho recon scout]

If he can do this, and be healthy, screw even having him hit.

[ScottT]

I realllllyyyy would like to see him do both successfully.

I think the narrative lately... that he should focus on one... is nonsense. He didn't get hurt because he was doing both.  If he was just a pitcher and got hurt, the Angels would've gotten next to nothing from him so far.  

Another elbow injury and I can see it, but not now. No way.

[T.G.]

How many of you thought he should ditch pitching and become an outfielder?

[Bronson]

4 hours ago, Revad said:

I’m trying to stay calm but as so many have said in different threads, if Ohtani is healthy it’s a different world.  

We take the division by a landslide.

[Revad]

1 hour ago, Bronson said:

We take the division by a landslide.

Pretty likely.  Plus there’s salary room for the trade deadline.  If we’re sellers the farm will jump a bit.

[Duren, Duren]

There's more to pitching than velocity. He needs to regain his familiarity on the mound against real hitters. His sense of the strike zone, reconstructing his repertoire and so on. And build chemistry with the catcher and pitching coach. As well as establishing a rhythm between his hitting time and his pitching time.

If his arm is sound he should be good on the mound after three or four starts. 

[tdawg87]

9 hours ago, Revad said:

I’m trying to stay calm but as so many have said in different threads, if Ohtani is healthy it’s a different world.  

Can't be stressed enough. 

He's a legitimate ace if he stays healthy. Completely changes the dynamic of the team and the season. 

[T.G.]

@Chuckster70 we really need a Capt. Obvious emoji.

[Warfarin]

2 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Can't be stressed enough. 

He's a legitimate ace if he stays healthy. Completely changes the dynamic of the team and the season. 

It certainly does.  That said, I do think expectations should be tempered such that even if he regains his electric form, he probably will throw around 80-100 innings at most, given how little he has pitched in the last several years.  They'll have to be careful with him and not push him too hard.

[Erstad Grit]

[tdawg87]

13 minutes ago, Warfarin said:

It certainly does.  That said, I do think expectations should be tempered such that even if he regains his electric form, he probably will throw around 80-100 innings at most, given how little he has pitched in the last several years.  They'll have to be careful with him and not push him too hard.

You're probably right, but I don't think we're gonna keep the kid gloves on for long. This is his 4th year and he turns 27 in July. Not sure what we're saving his arm for.

I'm not expecting 180 innings, that's not likely to happen. But if he's healthy he should make 25 starts, or at least as many as the rotation setup allows. 

125-130 innings should be a realistic expectation.

[Stradling]

10 hours ago, True Grich said:

How many of you thought he should ditch pitching and become an outfielder?

Only a couple idiots. But I’m in the camp of one more elbow injury he should scrap pitching. I’m also in the camp of, if he pitches like a 1 or a 2 this season and remains healthy, scrap hitting. 

[Angels 1961]

10 hours ago, True Grich said:

How many of you thought he should ditch pitching and become an outfielder?

I hope he stays healthy. He could be ace halos need. 

[Stradling]

10 hours ago, True Grich said:

How many of you thought he should ditch pitching and become an outfielder?

Also, don’t sell us short, we also have idiots that wanted him to be our DH and closer.

[Angels 1961]

9 minutes ago, Stradling said:

Only a couple idiots. But I’m in the camp of one more elbow injury he should scrap pitching. I’m also in the camp of, if he pitches like a 1 or a 2 this season and remains healthy, scrap hitting. 

Talent like Ohtani can do both. In 6 man rotation why would you sit this talent.Use Ohtani and his talents.

[UndertheHalo]

This type of thing is exciting to see of course.  Hopefully it works out.  I’m still on board with the 2 way player thing if he can manage to make it work.  

[Stradling]

3 minutes ago, Angels 1961 said:

Talent like Ohtani can do both. In 6 man rotation why would you sit this talent.Use Ohtani and his talents.

That’s certainly one approach. Just not the one I would use if he pitches close to an ace.  This team and virtually every team needs a TOR arm much more so than a really good bat. 

[Angels 1961]

Ohtani looks to be healthy which is great news. He has only thrown a few times so far. We have no idea how Angel plan on using him. Will Ohtani be on pitch  limit or innings limit for season. The news so far has been great. 

[Angels 1961]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

That’s certainly one approach. Just not the one I would use if he pitches close to an ace.  This team and virtually every team needs a TOR arm much more so than a really good bat. 

He can do both