By now, it’s no secret what Shohei Ohtani can do.
The Los Angeles Angels have a star in the making who can pitch like an ace and hit 30-plus home runs per season at the same time.
After winning the American League MVP Award in 2021, Ohtani didn’t disappoint in 2022.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for him to repeat as the MVP, with Aaron Judge ultimately running away with the award.
But there still is a lot to be excited about when concerning Ohtani.
And former MLB legend Ron Darling, now an MLB Network analyst, believes that the best is yet to come for the two-way superstar.
As good as Shohei Ohtani is now, Ron Darling thinks he still hasn't reached his full potential. @Angels | #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/sRuXSvaU0K
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 6, 2023
At the plate, the two-way star hit for a .273 average, hit 34 home runs, drove in 95 runs, and had an OPS of .875.
On the mound, he continued his run of success, winning 15 games and posting a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts and 166 innings of work.
And last season was only Ohtani’s fifth season as a member of the Angels.
Perhaps Darling is onto something when he says that the best is yet to come.
The former pitcher talked about the pressure Ohtani may have felt in the early days of his career, and how he’s worked through it all and learned some valuable lessons along the way.
Darling also mentioned how Ohtani has started to use his curveball and two-seam fastball more frequently.
However, Darling believes that the key for Ohtani moving forward is the use of his slider, a pitch he started to use much more of in 2022, and one that became somewhat of a put-away pitch for him.
The sky is the limit for the two-way star, and he’s only continuing to get better.
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