Shohei Ohtani is one of baseball’s most entertaining stars because of his ability to both pitch and hit.
The Los Angeles Angels have the luxury of being able to keep him in the lineup as the designated hitter on days when he isn’t pitching.
But the Angels slugger tends to do most of his damage at the plate on days when he’s pitching.
In those games this season, Ohtani owns a batting average of .387 and an OPS of 1.221.
According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, that would be the highest OPS over at least 60 plate appearances by a player in games he’s pitched since 1901.
Shohei Ohtani on days he pitches this year:
.387 BA
1.221 OPSthat would be the highest OPS by a player in games he pitched since at least 1901, min 60 PA
+ 4th-highest BA (same qualifiers), behind only:
1925 Walter Johnson: .440
1923 Jack Bentley: .406
1939 Joe Bowman: .403— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 14, 2023
In addition, Ohtani’s .387 average would be behind only Walter Johnson, who had a .440 average in 1925, Jack Bentley, who had an average of .406 in 1923, and Joe Bowman, who had an average of .403 in 1939.
With Ohtani starting Friday’s game against the Houston Astros to kick off the second half, the two-way star has a chance to potentially increase that average while at the plate.
Ohtani owns a 7-4 record in his 17 starts this season and has posted an ERA of 3.32.
As a hitter, he is hitting .302 in 341 at-bats with 32 home runs, 71 RBI, and an OPS of 1.050.
The 29-year-old is once again on track for an MVP season with his current pace.
But these are some very important stats which show just how dynamic of a player Ohtani truly is.
A lot of his damage at the plate comes on days when he is pitching for the Halos, and he has a chance to continue that on Friday.
NEXT: Shohei Ohtani Is Already An Obvious Favorite For Major Award