Shohei Ohtani is better than advertised, and everyone in baseball is a winner

Shohei Ohtani is better than we thought he’d be and is hustling his way to American superstardom.

In yet another edition of ‘Spring Training Means Nothing’, it turns out Shohei Ohtani is everything we thought he’d be and more. Despite a tough spring, which generated fear among Los Angeles Angels fans that Ohtani might not be ready for American baseball, the two-way sensation has been every bit the superstar he was billed as being.

Japan’s version of Babe Ruth spurned the rest of baseball to sign with the Angels. This came with the promise that he would both crack the starting rotation and be able to hit multiple times per week. So far both things have happened.

In 24 plate appearances, he’s slashing .364/.417/1.190. He has three home runs in eight games. As if that were not impressive enough, he’s been equally incredible on the mound as well. Ohtani is dealing fire from the mound, boasting a 2.08 ERA to go with a 1.74 FIP and 1.86 xFIP. As analytically impressive as that is, Ohtani looks even better in the ‘Eyeball Test’, proving he’s the complete package.

What’s more: Ohtani is lobbying to play more — he wants more at-bats and the Angels should give them to him.

The Angels’ best lineup is one with Ohtani in it. Right now he’s playing approximately three times per week. That schedule gives him two days off, including the one before his start on the mound. He’s already conditioned to hitting on days that he is pitching, so the idea that he’ll tire throughout the season is an unfounded fear.

Giving him a day off at the plate when he’s on the mound is a sound strategy. It allows him to focus on a greater task at hand. There’s no need, however, to keep their best bat on the bench as games get more important down the stretch of the season.

The American League is going to be competitive throughout the season. The Angels are already up against a surging Houston Astros team, one that many believe to be the best in baseball. If they want to take the next step, they need as much Ohtani as they can get.

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Every game is going to be important to them. In order for the Angels to make the playoffs, they need to have their best lineup on the field more often than they do not.