At this point, it’s pretty clear to everyone that Los Angeles Angels‘ star Shohei Ohtani hits the ball very hard.
You have to hit it hard consistently in order to finish a season with 46 home runs.
Last year, he averaged 93.6 mph of exit velocity, finishing in the top 3% of the league.
His max exit velocity of 119 mph also suggests he has some serious power.
Yesterday, Ohtani had a fantastic all-around game, showcasing all of his talents.
He pitched seven scoreless innings on the mound, with no walks and 11 strikeouts.
Additionally, he went 2-for-4 at the plate and showed he can punish the ball like few others in the league.
A Monster Drive That Left The Bat At Almost 104 MPH
His two singles traveled at 103.7 mph and 109.2 mph, and one of them literally broke the Green Monster at Fenway Park.
“Ohtani hit a line drive into the Green Monster so hard that it knocked down his #17 on the scoreboard,” Twitter account Shohei Ohtani Highlights wrote, with a clip of the iconic moment.
Ohtani hit a line drive into the Green Monster so hard that it knocked down his #17 on the scoreboard pic.twitter.com/ekOZnCsNH7
— Shohei Ohtani Highlights (@ohtanimoments) May 5, 2022
That was the 103.7 mph single: it didn’t leave the yard because it had a 20 degree launch angle: a bit higher, and we probably would be talking about a homer.
It still traveled 334 feet, so you know that ball was hit with authority.
Ohtani is still not showing his best offensive performance, slashing .240/.301/.394 with a .695 OPS, but games like Thursday’s tell us that he is hitting the ball hard frequently and that hits should start coming in no time.
The Angels are thriving in 2022, in large part thanks to his offensive and pitching contributions.
Once he gets going at the plate, this team could be seriously good.
NEXT: Angels Manager Has A Perfect Word To Describe Shohei Ohtani