True superstars produce when their teams need them the most.
That’s precisely what happened on Thursday night in the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Boston Red Sox.
The Angels had lost their 14th game in a row on Wednesday and lost their manager after the 12th.
If there was a team in MLB that needed a victory, it was them.
Fortunately, they have Shohei Ohtani, and the two-way star led them to the much-needed 5-2 victory against the Sox.
Ohtani hit a crucial home run and went 2-for-4 with a couple of RBI.
But that wasn’t all: he was also the main reason the Red Sox’s offense scored just two times.
From the mound, Ohtani was equally masterful: in seven innings, he just conceded a single run and struck out six.
A Truly Unique Major League Player
He is not quite on last year’s pace, when he hit 46 home runs, but nevertheless is showing that there is no one like him in major league baseball.
“Ohtani certainly hasn’t equaled the insanely high bar he set last year. But… OPS+; 125 ERA+ 108 (100 is average.),” Angels reporter Jeff Fletcher tweeted.
Ohtani certainly hasn’t equaled the insanely high bar he set last year. But…
OPS+ 125
ERA+ 108(100 is average.)
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) June 10, 2022
No one else in today’s game could be above-average in both hitting and pitching: those are just so different, specialized activities that they require years of training and practice.
But Ohtani knows no limits.
He has produced 25 percent more than the average hitter; and pitched eight percent better than the average pitcher.
As a hitter, he currently has 12 home runs, 38 runs, 34 RBI, and seven steals with a .247/.325/.457 batting line.
As a pitcher, he has a 3.64 ERA in 54.1 innings.
Can you name somebody who can come close to that two-way performance?
That player doesn’t exist.
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