.blUWSx .share-list__item{position:absolute;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g161[id="newsletterOptinstyle__Submit-sc-d7sh2p-6"]{content:"huJzbO,"}/*!sc*/ [type="search"]{-webkit-appearance:textfield;outline-offset:-2px;}/*!sc*/ .HQoYx{border:0;padding:0;text-align:center;}/*!sc*/ .epHHrr.youtube iframe{max-width:100%;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani's four-seamer works especially well with his splitter because they both come straight at the hitter -- but the four-seamer will carry through the zone, and the splitter will drop out. .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ Colby Olson | Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Next Tournament: Yakushi: Best batting lineup Seido: Best pitching lineup \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"The knock on Fujinami from his time in Japan was that his command can sometimes get out of whack. Hes working so hard this camp to prove to not only other people, but to himself, that he is this type of player. As a pitcher who is known to throw well over 100 miles per hour, Ohtani's fastball is a major money-maker for him. It was a no-doubter, as it left the bat at 102.7 mph and . Perhaps the most fascinating story in baseball is Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Angels' two-way phenomenon who is making his mark as both a hitter and a pitcher. .hHLkAw input.right{padding-right:32px;}/*!sc*/ Despite poor performance, Ohtani is opting to throw the cutter on 11.3% of pitches, while going four-seam fastball 53.1%, slider 13.4%, and splitter 18.5%. .hHLkAw input::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:#aaaaaa;}/*!sc*/ .hUHmCp > article > header,.hUHmCp > article > section{grid-column:1 / span 12;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani Unleashed With the so-called Ohtani rules junked, the Angels' "super freak" is dominating as a hitter and a pitcher. @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header[data-is-club],.mHQYb header.mlb-header[data-is-microsite]{background-image:linear-gradient(#002867 50%,#081c3b 50%);}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-top__nav-items{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}}/*!sc*/ html{font-size:16px;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;}/*!sc*/ I felt really good in the first inning, but I was trying to do too much in the second, Fujinami said through interpreter Issei Kamada. .mHQYb .p-search__input--icon.close-icon:hover{cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani's All-Star hitter credentials are now backed up by a 176 OPS+and MLB-leadingmarks in home runs (32) and slugging percentage (.700). .eJdqRG a{color:#057AFF;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}/*!sc*/ .hUHmCp > article .ad-bottom-right-container{margin-top:64px;}/*!sc*/ Now he's adding a sinker that also looks like it showcases standout stuff, and it should harmonize with the pitch mix he already had. All rights reserved. Shohei Ohtani knew coming . A 100 mph fastball, an unhittable splitter, one of the biggest-breaking sliders in the league and that's just Ohtani the pitcher. A video posted by "TIME" magazine on their Twitter account shows Ohtani giving a brief lesson on the art of pitching. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .icon{display:inline-block;-webkit-align-self:center;-ms-flex-item-align:center;align-self:center;line-height:20px;}/*!sc*/ Maddon believes the benefits of pitching Sunday and making one or possibly two more starts this season could be felt in 2022. Its just a spring game. I know that Fuji wants to be a special player. body.side-nav-open{max-height:100vh;overflow:hidden;overscroll-behavior:none;touch-action:none;position:fixed;top:0;width:100vw;}/*!sc*/ Of course, its not going to move the needle in the present tense, Maddon said, but who knows? For a first time out, Langeliers felt like the two were on the same page for most of it.\n\nThe more I catch him and the more we work together, the more Im going to start to think like him, Langeliers said. .eJdqRG p{margin-top:0;}/*!sc*/ As Angels starter Shohei Ohtani warmed up before the second inning in a game against the Giants on Wednesday, a foreign substance was spotted in his back pocket. .hUHmCp > article{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(12,minmax(0,1fr));grid-gap:24px;color:#000000;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani's Resume. \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"In total, hitters have swung 23 times at Ohtani's splitter so far. progress{vertical-align:baseline;}/*!sc*/ .evGxub{display:inline-block;width:48px;height:48px;border-radius:50%;-webkit-border-radius:50%;overflow:hidden;position:relative;}/*!sc*/ . April 24, 2021 8:40 pm ET. .blUWSx .share-button__link--message{position:absolute;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;height:100%;left:-105px;bottom:2px;padding:0 5px;border-radius:5px;background:#041E42;color:#ffffff;font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-size:12px;}/*!sc*/ For the season, Ohtani is getting whiffs on 57% of swings on the splitter and 37% whiffs from the slider. data-styled.g155[id="newsletterOptinstyle__Form-sc-d7sh2p-0"]{content:"fAmXvR,"}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:1024px){.blLcNM .content{grid-column:1 / span 8;}.blLcNM .content .share-btn{-webkit-align-self:flex-end;-ms-flex-item-align:end;align-self:flex-end;margin-bottom:16px;top:0;}}/*!sc*/ code,kbd,samp{font-family:monospace,monospace;font-size:1em;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__button-menu{-webkit-flex:0 0 auto;-ms-flex:0 0 auto;flex:0 0 auto;}/*!sc*/ With his sinker averaging 16 inches of run from left to right, those two pitches can diverge by 30 inches if he starts them out in the same spot. Its been no more complicated than that, really.. They whiffed on 53 of those swings -- a 56% swing-and-miss rate. data-styled.g122[id="Styles__HeadlineContainer-sc-19rm04l-0"]{content:"dMKvOx,"}/*!sc*/ .blLcNM .content{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;grid-column:1 / span 12;}/*!sc*/ Fastest pitches thrown by SP since Ohtani's debut101.1 mph -- Shohei Ohtani (LAA), 5/30/18101.1 mph -- Gerrit Cole (HOU), 7/6/19101.1 mph -- Josh James (HOU), 9/1/18101.0 mph -- Shohei Ohtani (LAA), 4/24/18101.0 mph -- Shohei Ohtani (LAA), 4/24/18101.0 mph -- Nathan Eovaldi (BOS), 10/16/18 (postseason)101.0 mph -- Nathan Eovaldi (BOS), 10/8/18 (postseason), Shohei Ohtani, 101 mph pirouette pic.twitter.com/8pOSyzys8y. But where his four-seamer drops 14.6 inches, his splitter drops 31.7 inches. The AL MVP race is essentially down to Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge with just a little more than a month remaining in the season. .hUHmCp{margin-top:24px;background-color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g165[id="Styles__AspectRatioContent-sc-1t1lmmv-1"]{content:"fvEQJr,"}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav{opacity:0;display:none;left:-9999px;position:absolute;margin:0px;-webkit-transition:opacity 100ms ease 100ms;transition:opacity 100ms ease 100ms;pointer-events:initial;border-top:solid 4px #002867;border-radius:0 0 6px 6px;box-shadow:0px 0px 14px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__content{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__item,.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group-title{padding:11px 8px;white-space:nowrap;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__item:not(.header__subnav--teams__team),.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group-title{display:block;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group-title{background-color:#ffffff;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item{position:relative;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item:hover .header__nav-top__nav-item__text,.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item[aria-expanded='true'] .header__nav-top__nav-item__text{opacity:1;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true']{border-bottom:none;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true']::after{opacity:1;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true'] .header__subnav{display:block;opacity:1;top:52px;left:0px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true'] .header__subnav--pin-to-right{right:0;left:auto;}}/*!sc*/ Its not just that pitch that makes hitters miss, as Ohtanis overall whiffs per swing percentage is 35.02, also the highest in the tracking era. Thats the highest whiff rate for any pitcher since 2006, when PITCHf/x began tracking pitch data. Incredible catch. @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu{right:32px;top:calc(56px - 4px);}.mHQYb .mlb-header[data-is-club] .mlb-header__login-menu{top:calc(112px - 4px);}}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__list--sm{font-size:12px;min-width:150px;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani's new sinker is dropping 3.5 inches more than comparable Major League sinkers (sinkers thrown at a similar velocity and release point), and it's breaking 1.3 inches more than comparable sinkers. Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani tosses the ball while on the mound against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday. body.article{font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;background-color:#ffffff;line-height:1.5;}/*!sc*/ Maybe he was when he actually did hit him on Canha's next at-bat, but it didn't matter cuz both Ohtani and Canha laughed it off and smiled at each other with a "we're cool" gesture. He's routinely throwing splitters in the low 90s -- 11 of his 23 swinging strikes have been on splitters 90 mph or faster, as have 11 of his 18 K's. Shohei Ohtani's splitter: 90% (18 of 20 PA), Dustin May's curveball: 70% (16 of 23 PA), Tyler Glasnow's curveball: 68% (30 of 44 PA), Cristian Javier's slider: 63% (15 of 24 PA). His stuffs good enough. The type of sinker/slider combo he can throw -- covering the strike zone horizontally, with the sinker and slider both getting big horizontal break, but in opposite directions -- has started to pop up in a number of top pitchers' repertoires. The right-hander induced 17 swinging strikes and two called strikes with the pitch, which averaged 89.2 mph, and he struck out the side Seth Brown, Yan Gomes and Elvis Andrus with splitters in the seventh. .blUWSx .share-list{position:absolute;list-style:none;margin:0;margin-left:2px;padding:0;margin-top:3px;margin-right:10px;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani connected on a 1-2 splitter from Montas for a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Angels the lead. Of course, its not going to move the needle in the present tense, Maddon said, but who knows? @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos{width:100%;-webkit-order:-1;-ms-flex-order:-1;order:-1;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-container{-webkit-order:0;-ms-flex-order:0;order:0;-webkit-flex-basis:80%;-ms-flex-preferred-size:80%;flex-basis:80%;}}/*!sc*/ He had good command of it. Oh my, Juan Lagares! .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo{-webkit-flex:0 1 auto;-ms-flex:0 1 auto;flex:0 1 auto;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;text-align:left;height:56px;padding:0 16px 0 0;}/*!sc*/ Reply small{font-size:80%;}/*!sc*/ Two-way star Shohei Ohtani helped the Angels end a five-game losing streak with a 110-pitch outing against the Rays Sunday. Shohei Ohtani was called for two balks and threw a wild pitch in a two-run fifth inning, as he pitched, batted and played in the outfield in the Los Angeles' 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. .mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu__link{display:block;padding:10px;color:#081c3b;background-color:#f7f7f7;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner a,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner span{color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ That early? Maddon said after a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics in Angel Stadium. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item .icon__subnav-arrow{-webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-90deg);transform:rotate(-90deg);margin-right:0;width:11px;height:11px;float:none;}/*!sc*/ .hHLkAw input.left{padding-left:32px;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g140[id="sharestyle__Label-sc-9nfkvu-0"]{content:"ezZJVn,"}/*!sc*/ template{display:none;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani is ready to pitch. Ohtani, a 27-year-old sensation from Japan, has taken the league by storm and may be baseball's most popular player. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item__subnav-arrow{color:#ffffff;margin-left:auto;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;font-size:10px;opacity:0.5;}/*!sc*/ .eJdqRG a:hover{color:#0048AB;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g154[id="newsletterLogostyle__NewsletterLogoContainer-sc-j5dgcz-0"]{content:"bZhBFV,"}/*!sc*/ body{margin:0;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium-it.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium-it.woff') format('woff');font-weight:500;font-style:italic;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item:focus a{outline:1px dotted #fff;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-semibold-italic.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-semibold-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:600;font-style:italic;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff') format('woff');font-weight:500;font-style:normal;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight{background-color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Yeah, its been hard to keep my motivation up when were out of the playoff race, but Im gonna keep my head down and stay in there.. sub{bottom:-0.25em;}/*!sc*/ .drUhS{pointer-events:none;width:100%;height:100%;display:inline-block;overflow:visible;fill:#000000;stroke:#000000;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g147[id="Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0"]{content:"eJdqRG,"}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__form{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item .icon__nav-item{margin-right:8px;width:18px;height:14px;float:left;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;}/*!sc*/ Sure, why not. data-styled.g166[id="Styles__VideoPlayerContainer-t94iyc-0"]{content:"XOHMa,"}/*!sc*/ Ohtani was definitely feeling the splitter on Sunday. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-logo a,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo a{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__tagline--no-sponsor{margin-right:0;}/*!sc*/ I love this shot, you can see Ohtani's grip on his devastating split finger pitch. Ohtani was scheduled to start Friday nights series opener against the As but was scratched after experiencing some general soreness in his pitching arm following a game of catch on Wednesday. It was a really good one, and I looked at [pitching coach Matt Wise] and said, Splitter? .cwEpxl:hover{background-color:transparent;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:700;font-style:italic;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani was already 10-7 with a 2.68 ERA and 157 strikeouts -- and that's just what his pitcher half was doing -- when he added a brand-new weapon to his arsenal. ","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"Video","contentDate":"2021-04-05T04:56:04.5Z","description":"Shohei Ohtani throws a few pitches over 100 miles per hour and gets pumped up after striking out Luis Robert","displayAsVideoGif":false,"duration":"00:00:25","mp4AvcPlayback":"https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2021/2021-04/04/df1cc56e-437b5b74-ae564962-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4","slug":"shohei-ohtani-gets-pumped-after-k","tags":[{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"gamepk-634637","title":"2021/04/04 cws@ana"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"teamid-108","title":"Los Angeles Angels"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"playerid-660271","title":"Shohei Ohtani"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"highlight","title":"highlight"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"pitching","title":"pitching"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"group-3","title":"group 3"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"international-feed","title":"International Partner feed"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"eclat-feed","title":"Eclat feed"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"yahoo-fantasy","title":"Yahoo Fantasy"},{"__typename":"Tag","slug":"1-yahoo-fantasy-feed","title":"1-Yahoo Fantasy Feed"}],"templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/cjxtqyzhtbfqwih2z62a","title":"Shohei Ohtani gets pumped after K","type":"video","url":"/video/shohei-ohtani-gets-pumped-after-k"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"The secret to Ohtani's splitter is the direction of its movement. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .mlb-header__login-menu{border-color:#057AFF;}/*!sc*/ button,input{overflow:visible;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:768px){h1.Styles__HeadlineContainer-sc-19rm04l-0{font-size:2.488rem;}h2.Styles__HeadlineContainer-sc-19rm04l-0{font-size:1.44rem;}}/*!sc*/ \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"On April 24, 2018, Ohtani blew a 100.6 mph fastball past Josh Reddick -- the fastest pitch to get a swing-and-miss by any starter all year.\n\nA few weeks before that, on April 8, when he took a perfect game into the seventh inning in his second MLB start, he fanned Marcus Semien with a 99.6 mph fastball for his personal-best strikeout velo in the big leagues. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-container__revenue{display:none;}/*!sc*/ I thought this game showed Japanese fans some good entertainment.","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"PhotoPart","caption":null,"contextualCaption":null,"contextualAspectRatio":null,"credit":null,"format":"jpg","templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/v1677631799/mlb/v4ook8ooawv5ux123nfj","type":"photo"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Theres a strong chance Fujinami will face the Angels again in about a month -- the As open the regular season March 30 by hosting the Angels for a three-game series at the Coliseum. .groqnz .ad-body-container .ad-body-inner-container::before{color:#dddddd;content:"ADVERTISEMENT";display:block;font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-size:0.694rem;line-height:13px;position:absolute;top:17px;text-align:center;width:100%;}/*!sc*/ If Fujinami was nervous once first pitch came around, he certainly did a good job of hiding it. .mHQYb header.mlb-header{width:100%;font-family:'proxima-nova','mlb-primary','Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica','Arial',sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-size:14px;font-weight:500;line-height:15px;color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Finally, Ohtani is a two-way player again. data-styled.g170[id="Styles__TimestampContainer-sc-8rwtua-0"]{content:"hedPca,"}/*!sc*/ I spoke with Perry [Minasian, Angels general manager] in spring training, and we decided just to watch and see how hes doing and make decisions based on where hes at during the course of the year. All of them are nasty. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__team--logo{height:24px;width:24px;padding:2px 2px 2px 0;margin-right:2px;display:inline-block;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani relies on 7 pitches. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__group-title{color:#aaaaaa;font-weight:700;font-size:12px;background-color:#ffffff;text-transform:uppercase;}/*!sc*/ The list of Ohtani splitter strikeout victims includes Matt Olson (four times), Matt Chapman (twice), Marcus Semien (twice), Yuli Gurriel (twice), Nelson Cruz and Jos Altuve -- great hitters waving at a great pitch. He lost control in the second inning, but good pitchers get those outs when they need.\n\nFujinami came away from the outing with things to work on for the next time out. .cHcHkC{font-size:1.2rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0;max-height:48px;overflow:hidden;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;width:100%;-webkit-line-clamp:2;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani's four-seamer has only 3.3 inches of horizontal movement, and his splitter has only 5.4 inches of horizontal movement. .mHQYb header.mlb-header a:focus,.mHQYb header.mlb-header button:focus,.mHQYb header.mlb-header [class*='__nav']:focus{outline:1px dotted #fff;}/*!sc*/ As the book comes in on Ohtani and his uber-out pitch, its unlikely that hell continue to befuddle hitters quite so much with the splitter. .huJzbO{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}/*!sc*/ MESA, Ariz. -- Shintaro Fujinami expected to battle nerves in his highly anticipated A's debut, which was only amplified once it was announced that the pitching matchup would come against Japanese countryman Shohei Ohtani. .ggWmAj .sticky-header__share button{font-weight:600;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search-item a{bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%;}/*!sc*/ That includes an especially ridiculous 92.6 mph splitter to strike out Robert on April 4. All of this obviously comes with the usual small-sample caveats and then some. 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. And then you realize it's not even the best reason to watch Ohtani. Ohtani's triple-digit heat and wipeout splitter would be enough to make his return to the mound must-see TV. That means when they leave Ohtani's hand, they look the same. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-black.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-black.woff') format('woff');font-style:normal;font-weight:900;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ Ohtanis best start of the season came on May 11th against the Houston Astros, in which he went seven innings of one run baseball, while striking out 10. But that makes it the perfect weapon to pair with his four-seamer, which carries straight through the zone. Ohtani takes mound vs. A's before Japan trip. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top > *{-webkit-order:0;-ms-flex-order:0;order:0;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}/*!sc*/ Opponents are hitting .067 against his splitter this year. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav .scroll-buffer,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__subnav .scroll-buffer{padding-bottom:200px;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g160[id="newsletterOptinstyle__InputWrapper-sc-d7sh2p-5"]{content:"hYmwpY,"}/*!sc*/ With Statcast's new spin axis data, we can see how Ohtani throws his four-seamer and splitter with close to the same spin direction. .blUWSx .share-icon{width:25px;cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ The secret to Ohtani's splitter is the direction of its movement. Then Abreu, Luis Robert, Yon Moncada, Nick Solak, Willie Calhoun, Jose Trevino, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, Joey Gallo, Kiner-Falefa again, Brock Holt, Kiner-Falefa a third time, Gallo a second time, Adolis Garca, David Dahl, Trevino again and Gallo once more. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani helped the Angels end a five-game losing streak with a 110-pitch outing against the Rays Sunday. Defined as either a 3-0, 2-0 or 3-1 count. His splitter sits a tick higher than the slider, in the 86-88 range, and dives down out of the zone late: Shohei Otani splitter/forkball grip, release and travel. .mHQYb .p-search-item__container{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:50px;border-top:0;min-width:250px;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}/*!sc*/ That cutter gave him five different nasty pitches, adding to his four-seamer, splitter, slider and curve. .blLcNM{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(12,1fr);grid-gap:24px;font-size:1rem;}/*!sc*/ By Neil Paine Filed under MLB. Adam Eaton was the first to strike out against Ohtani's splitter. Shohei Ohtani, a fearsome pitcher AND prodigious hitter in Japan, announced his ambitions to take his dual talents to the Majors. Now that Ohtani is throwing both a four-seamer and a sinker, he can take advantage of two key pitch combos: four-seam/splitter and sinker/slider. He had good command of it. main{display:block;}/*!sc*/ The sinker gives him six. Ohtani, who ranks third in the American League with 44 homers and is in the thick of the AL most valuable player race, has no desire to ease his workload in the final two weeks of the season. In 2018, Ohtani used his slider 24.8% of the time, which yielded whiffs on 39.1% of swings and a .243 wOBA against, so its surprising that Ohtani decided to add a cutter into his repertoire and take directly away from his slider usage. By any advanced metric, Ohtanis splitter is fooling would-be hitters at a historic rate. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(2),.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(3){top:8px;}/*!sc*/ That early? Maddon said after a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics in Angel Stadium. His splitter drops 32.1 inches -- nearly 20 inches more. It is a purely _vertical_ splitter, which looks almost identical to his four-seam fastball until it doesn't.\n\nOhtani throws a true four-seamer. In 2021, Ohtani's splitter had a 49% whiff rate and over the last 2 years, Gausman's splitter has averaged ~45% whiff rate. His four-seamer is a true four-seamer -- it comes straight at the hitter, with very little horizontal movement. It is a purely vertical splitter, which looks almost identical to his four-seam fastball until it doesn't. It was one thing to hear about Ohtani's 100 mph fastball and watch the Nippon Professional Baseball highlights on YouTube in the winter of 2017-18. Ohhhh . .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav ::-webkit-scrollbar-track,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb{background:transparent;}/*!sc*/ This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. I think he was experimenting with some different grips, and apparently it was working pretty well. .mHQYb input[type='search']::-ms-clear{display:none;width:0;height:0;}/*!sc*/ Ditching the cutter and utilizing the splitter more may just be the change that could take Ohtani to the next level as a pitcher. Gausman currently throws 50.4% four-seam fastballs and splitters a whopping 40.2% of pitches. This ranks Ohtanis cutter second to last among all cut-fastballs in run value. It's the perfect complement to his fastball and splitter, because the action on those three pitches takes them in three directions. Ohtani has posted an ERA of under three this year, so perhaps it bears paying attention. His first-inning punchouts of David Fletcher and Jake Lamb both came on what catcher Shea Langeliers described as "nasty" splitters, which were thrown in the 91-92 mph range. @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-medium.woff') format('woff');font-weight:500;font-style:normal;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .mlb-header__login-menu__link:hover{background-color:#057AFF;color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ pic.twitter.com/6YdKWSQJzY Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 7, 2022 Ohtani's two-run single in. .groqnz.markdown,.groqnz.photo figcaption,.groqnz.oembed .social-embed{padding:0 16px;}/*!sc*/ It comes straight at the hitter, with barely any horizontal movement. Two things are true: Shohei Ohtani is not having as good a season in 2022 as he did in 2021, and Ohtani is having an incredible 2022 season. legend{box-sizing:border-box;color:inherit;display:table;max-width:100%;padding:0;white-space:normal;}/*!sc*/
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