Ohtani hops in a 65-year-old time machine…363 wins, 35 home runs on his way to legendary status
This time it’s a time machine, number 65.
For Shohei Ohtani (29, Los Angeles Angels), a home game against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday may not be so pleasant. While he had three hits at the plate, he was far from satisfactory as a starter, allowing three runs on five hits (one home run) in five innings with six strikeouts and five walks. He’s been struggling with walks this season, especially in the first inning, where he gave up a home run on a wild pitch.
Still, there was one record that was a huge consolation for Ohtani. He probably doesn’t realize it. According to MLB.com, this is the fourth time this season that Ohtani has had at least three hits in a start, the most since Warren Spahn did it five times in 1958 for the Milwaukee Brewers.
While it’s not uncommon for a good starting pitcher to have a three-hit night, only Ohtani and Spahn have done it four times in a season. One more three-hit night on the mound this season and he’ll tie Spahn, and one more and he’ll surpass Spahn and make major league history.
Ohtani can do it. He’s 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 13 starts this season, but he’s also batting .282 with 17 home runs, 44 RBIs, 38 runs scored, and a .919 OPS in 63 games. There aren’t many examples of players who have performed this well at both ends of the plate. This is why Major League Baseball is so excited about Ohtani.
Spahn was a legendary left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who has an award named after him. He played from 1942 to 1965, compiling a record of 363 wins, 245 losses, 28 saves, and a 3.09 ERA in 750 games. In 1958, he went 22-11 with a 3.07 ERA in 38 games.
But Spahn also played 41 games as a hitter that season, batting .333 with two home runs, 15 RBIs, 10 runs scored, and an OPS of .844. In his career, Span hit .194 with 35 home runs, 189 RBIs, 141 runs scored, and a .520 OPS in 783 games. His legendary performance as a pitcher may have overshadowed the fact that he also played as a hitter throughout his career. Ohtani has 33 career wins as a pitcher and 144 career home runs as a hitter. He’s already surpassed Span in home runs. However, 363 wins is not an easy number to surpass.
However, there is one record that Ohtani can definitely surpass. There is one record that he could definitely surpass: Hits for the Cycle by a starting pitcher. According to MLB.com, it has never happened in major league history. On this day, Ohtani had a single, home run, and two doubles, but no triples. Ohtani now has three triples this season. 먹튀검증
Angels manager Phil Nevin told MLB.com, “Oh, he’s great. It was a really impressive night. I know he only went five innings because of the pitch count, but he gave us a chance to win. That’s all you can ask of him.”