Can Shohei Ohtani improve on his historic season? That’s his goal

On the floor, nothing had modified.

Shohei Ohtani was as soft-spoken Tuesday as he was 5 years in the past when he was in camp with the Angels for the primary time.

He responded to questions with the passion of a customer support consultant.

Nearly all of his solutions had been temporary.

He not often smiled.

The tasteless masks hid the one biggest power on the Angels’ spring coaching complicated, an ambition as gargantuan as a number of the homers the 27-year-old two-way participant launches in batting follow.

Others seen Ohtani’s 2021 marketing campaign as a once-in-a-century tour de power. Ohtani noticed his MVP season as one thing else: a place to begin.

“If I consider making an attempt to do what I did final 12 months, it is going to be exhausting to place up the identical sorts of numbers,” Ohtani stated in Japanese. “I wish to purpose larger and better.”

Ohtani made related remarks in his residence nation over the offseason, about how he considered his numbers from final 12 months as a baseline for future seasons.

Relayed Ohtani’s sentiments, one Angels government laughed with delight.

“Some baseline that’s!” the chief stated.

Ohtani completed third within the majors with 46 residence runs. He drove in 100 runs and stole 26 bases. He was additionally 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 begins as a pitcher.

Ohtani’s optimism was hanging, particularly within the spring coaching complicated of a corporation as troubled because the Angels.

They’re nonetheless feeling the aftereffects of pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ demise, which resulted within the current federal drug conviction of former workforce communications director Eric Kay. Joe Maddon upset franchise cornerstone Mike Trout by saying he may very well be moved from middle discipline, requiring the lame-duck supervisor to appropriate the file the following day. The workforce’s quantity-over-quality to pitching backfired final 12 months, prompting the Angels to stake their season on the beforehand broken arm of Noah Syndergaard.

The final time the Angels had been within the postseason was in 2014.

Little surprise proprietor Arte Moreno declined to discipline questions from reporters Tuesday whereas visiting the workforce’s spring coaching complicated.

However no matter how their high-ceiling, low-floor roster performs, the Angels can be Ohtani’s workforce, which suggests they’ll stay a topic of curiosity.

Within the first days of spring coaching, Japanese cameramen have positioned themselves on high of a mountain subsequent to the Angels’ facility to higher monitor Ohtani’s actions.

At the least 30 reporters watched Ohtani throw his first bullpen session of camp, which consisted of 24 pitches. Close by, there was a gaggle of 20 or so Angels executives and scouts.

“Bodily, I really feel I’m already in a greater place than I used to be final 12 months,” Ohtani stated.

Round this time final 12 months, Ohtani was nonetheless regaining his really feel as a pitcher after an elbow damage restricted him to 2 brief begins in 2020.

He stated he pitched to batters as soon as earlier than reporting to camp, at a Driveline coaching middle in Phoenix. He additionally confronted reside pitching 4 or 5 instances as a hitter.

His targets now embrace a Cy Younger Award.

“In fact, I’ve emotions of eager to win it,” Ohtani stated. “However for those who don’t play a whole season, you may’t begin seeing that as a chance. It’s not one thing you may get simply since you need it. I believe it’s necessary to first deal with what you must deal with.”

The precedence of staying wholesome was repeated a number of instances by Ohtani, who was assured he would produce so long as he was on the sector.

Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs to first whereas grounding out in opposition to the Houston Astros on Sept. 11, 2021.

(Eric Christian Smith / Related Press)

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“If the variety of begins will increase, I believe the statistics can be good,” he stated. “Should you’re pitching extra, it means you may take the mound with confidence. If I can take the mound with extra confidence than I did final 12 months, I believe the numbers can be higher.”

He stated he additionally thought he would profit from the implementation of the designated hitter within the Nationwide League, because the rule change will permit him to be within the lineup extra typically in interleague video games.

As a substitute of pursuing statistical benchmarks, Ohtani stated he was trying to enhance his variety of video games performed. He was within the Angels’ lineup 146 instances final 12 months and made 639 plate appearances.

“I believe that by enjoying in additional video games, the numbers will enhance,” Ohtani stated.

Informed that his physique seemed extra sculpted than it had up to now, Ohtani stated he weighed 225 kilos, which is near the place he was final 12 months.

“However the weights I elevate and the power of my physique are issues that I believe are growing yearly,” he stated. “Beginning in camp, I wish to do my greatest to make that come out in my play.”

Ohtani declined to speak about the potential of a contract extension, saying he was trusting agent Nez Balelo to deal with any negotiations.

Hours earlier than Ohtani spoke, Maddon did what he might to mood expectations.

“It’s exhausting to think about he’s going to do extra this 12 months than he did final 12 months,” Maddon stated. “I’ll take a repeat efficiency, add in possibly a number of extra innings as a pitcher.”

In fact, Ohtani was the one who imagined his MVP season when others across the sport stated he ought to abandon pitching and change into a full-time hitter.

And now that others assume he’s reached the boundaries of what’s potential, Ohtani continues to think about how he might additional push the boundaries of a sport performed professionally on this nation for 175 years.