The Los Angeles Angels have their hopes on Shohei Ohtani for the 2022 season, as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
In theory, the team should be well-positioned to do so, since the playoffs were expanded to six teams per league (12 in total).
But the AL West has the Houston Astros and the up-and-coming Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, though, so nothing is set in stone.
Having Ohtani, however, gives the Angels a huge competitive edge: they have a premier slugger and an ace pitcher in the same player, occupying one roster spot.
They have someone capable of hitting 46 homers in a season and, at the same time, pitching more than 130 innings with a 3.18 ERA, as he did last year.
His swing is really something to admire, and it was captured in an impressive angle as he hit a home run during spring training play.
This angle of Ohtani’s home run swing 🤤
(via @SotoP_23) pic.twitter.com/wsUeUPadnW
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 29, 2022
An Explosive, Well-Balanced Swing
That ball was hit to the opposite field, and it left the park in a hurry: it shows that Ohtani is more than just a one-dimensional slugger.
As his slash line from the 2021 season (.257/.372/.592) tells us, he can get on base and hit for power at an elite level.
The best part of all is that he has power to all fields, and he is not just a vulnerable pull hitter.
That short clip shows us how Ohtani uses his legs and hips on his swing, quickly exploding towards the ball and showing us all of his impressive power.
It’s a beautiful swing, and the Angels playoffs hopes are directly tied to it.
If Mike Trout‘s health will be the X-factor for the Angels, they just can’t compete in the American League without Ohtani’s contributions.
NEXT: Mike Trout And Shohei Ohtani Can Shatter An MLB Record In 2022
