As we all know by now, the reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani is a man of many talents, with pitching and hitting being just two of them.
The Los Angeles Angels‘ two-way star had himself another game to remember on Thursday night with the Oakland Athletics in town to finish off their three-game series, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
Obviously, he didn’t finish it off, allowing two hits in the eighth, but he still managed to get through the eighth without allowing a run.
After the game, Ohtani revealed what works for him, and that the key is for him to go out there each night with the mindset of trying to throw a no-no or a perfect game.
Shohei Ohtani: “That’s my mentality every outing. Try to get that no-hitter or perfect game.”
— Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) September 30, 2022
What Drives Ohtani
This is what drives Ohtani.
Every pitcher wants to be the best they possibly can at any given moment, and Ohtani is no different.
He’s a competitor and a driver.
He wants to dominate each day and anything less than that is a disappointment for him.
Ohtani came so close to having a no-hitter, which would have been the second of the year for the Angels, after lefty Reid Detmers threw one back in May.
Ohtani has already tasted a bunch of history, but there’s certainly more he wants to do, and there’s certainly more that he can accomplish.
He’s only been in the league for five years after all, having made his debut in 2018.
Even with the Angels eliminated, Ohtani knows what he wants to do.
Whether they’re in it or not, his goal remains the same, and that is to give his best effort every time he takes the mound or steps up to the plate.
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