LA Dodgers Shohei Otani (30), who is preparing for his first season after transferring, expressed confidence in his physical condition.
Japanese media outlet Sponichianex reported an interview with Ohtani, who entered spring training on the 10th. Otani said, “My elbow strength is now close to 100%. "He's at the stage where he's hitting the pitches of a pitching machine or a real pitcher," he said, noting that he has almost recovered from elbow surgery.
Ohtani is the best star player in the major leagues, with a batting average of .277 4-3 (681 hits in 2,483 at-bats) in 716 games, 171 home runs, 437 RBIs, an OPS of .922, and an ERA of 3.01 in 86 games (481⅔ innings) as a pitcher. Ohtani, who made a name for himself as a pitcher in the Japanese professional baseball league, announced his intention to advance to the major leagues with great interest after the 2017 season, and began his big league career by signing with the Angels. He rose to stardom right away, winning American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2018.
Ohtani, who suffered somewhat after undergoing Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament joint surgery), had a batting average of .257 in 155 games as a batter in 2021 (138 hits in 537 at-bats), 46 home runs, 100 RBI, an OPS of .965, and played 23 games as a pitcher (130⅓). Innings) He recorded 9 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 3.18, and was unanimously awarded the American League MVP award, becoming one of the top stars in the Major League. In 2022, he finished second in MVP voting behind Aaron Judge (Yankees), who broke the American League home run record (62 home runs), but last year as a batter, he had a batting average of .304 (151 hits in 497 at-bats) in 135 games, 44 home runs, 95 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.066. As a pitcher, he recorded 10 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 3.14 in 23 games (132 innings), winning his second unanimous MVP award. Ohtani is the first player in major league history to receive unanimous MVP honors twice.
Ohtani, who underwent elbow surgery in September of last year, qualified as a free agent at the end of the season. Although he cannot pitch as a pitcher this year, he has remained popular in the free agent market. In the end, he thrilled fans by signing a 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million (about 933.1 billion won). It is the largest contract in the history of professional sports, surpassing Mike Trout's (Angels) 12-year $426.5 million (approximately KRW 568.5 billion) extension contract as well as Lionel Messi's (Miami) $674 million (approximately KRW 898.4 billion) contract with Barcelona. It's a contract.
“I’m with a new team now,” said Ohtani, who is preparing for his first season in Dodgers camp. That is why he will act like a rookie player. And I will try to get along well with my new teammates,” he said about his mindset during his first season with the Dodgers.
Ohtani, who is unable to pitch as a pitcher this year, is expected to play as a specialist designated hitter. This is not the first time that he has not been able to double hit. After undergoing Tommy John surgery (elbow ligament fusion surgery) in October 2018, he also had experience playing as a professional designated hitter in 2019. Regarding whether he will play this season, Ohtani said, “This is not the first time I have been rehabilitating in preparation for the season. He knows how to do it because he did it in 2019. “The second time will be easy,” he said confidently.
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