Shohei Ohtani aims for improvement even after MVP season for Angels

Baseball had seen nothing like Shohei Ohtani’s unanimous AL MVP season in over a century.

With the brand new season arriving rapidly for his Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani is keen to make extra historical past.

“I really feel like I can’t be doing the identical factor as final 12 months, to have the identical stats as final 12 months,” Ohtani mentioned Tuesday by his interpreter on the Angels’ spring coaching complicated. “I must get higher and carry on enhancing, so that is the plan.”

Ohtani’s stats have been completely daunting in 2021: A 9-2 report with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 130 innings on the mound, and a .965 OPS with 46 homers and 100 RBIs on the plate.

Even after probably the most spectacular two-way season since Babe Ruth’s heyday, Ohtani stays unhappy.

“Clearly, skills-wise, there’s room for enchancment,” Ohtani mentioned. “However bodily, I already really feel rather a lot stronger than final 12 months, so I believe we’re on begin.”

Ohtani needs to do extra in each space, and he is hoping that manufacturing will translate into extra staff success for a franchise that hasn’t had a profitable season since three years earlier than he arrived stateside. He hasn’t made as many important additions to his offseason coaching routine as he did earlier than final season, justifiably feeling that what he has been doing continues to be working properly.

“Nothing is admittedly going to vary personally only for having one good 12 months,” Ohtani mentioned. “I really feel like the hot button is to proceed having success for lots of years to return. So long as we are able to do this, I really feel like our staff is in a great spot.”

Angels supervisor Joe Maddon sees one explicit space the place Ohtani would possibly be capable of increase his recreation, despite the fact that he has zero complaints about final season.

“It’s exhausting to think about he’s going to do extra this 12 months than he did final 12 months,” Maddon mentioned. “I’ll take a repeat efficiency, including perhaps a number of extra innings as a pitcher. However he’s only a completely different animal. He’s man that occurs to be a very good baseball participant.”

Ohtani made 23 begins final season within the Angels’ six-man rotation, and that quantity is not prone to rise by greater than a few begins. Los Angeles bolstered its beginning rotation within the offseason with the additions of Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen, however the Angels are nonetheless relying on Ohtani to excel on the mound.

Ohtani hopes to enhance his management this 12 months, significantly early within the season. He appears prone to be the Angels’ opening day starter on the mound April 7, though Maddon will not affirm it but.

“There is part of me that wish to begin opening day, nevertheless it’s not what I am actually excited about,” Ohtani mentioned. “Whether or not I am hitting or pitching on opening day, I simply need to get off to begin.”

Ohtani and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara met with Maddon on Tuesday morning to resume their connection. Maddon believes he has system in place with Ohtani and Mizuhara, and he intends to maintain the identical fixed dialogue this season, paying explicit consideration to the well being of Ohtani’s legs as a result of any weak point may result in overcompensation in different areas.

Actually, the largest impediment of Ohtani’s offseason may need arisen when baseball house owners imposed their lockout: Mizuhara needed to resign from his place as an Angels employees member or he wouldn’t have been in a position to keep in every day contact with Ohtani as a staff worker.

Mizuhara, who grew up in Japan earlier than attending highschool and school within the Los Angeles space, has been Ohtani’s right-hand man since their days with the Nippon-Ham Fighters. The Angels instantly rehired Mizuhara after the lockout ended.

Ohtani’s long-term future with the Angels is not settled. He’s underneath staff management by subsequent season, however he does not sound fascinated about speaking about potential contract extensions in the course of the season.

“There is a actually good vibe within the clubhouse proper now,” Ohtani mentioned. “All the brand new guys seem to be they’re actually nice guys. I am excited to play with this staff. … So long as we are able to all keep wholesome, I really feel like we’ve a very good shot on the postseason.”

If the Angels finish their seven-year playoff drought, Ohtani is prone to be a giant purpose. There’s one other manner through which Ohtani is hoping to contribute much more: After a number of important rule adjustments have been included within the current collective bargaining settlement, the Angels would adore it if baseball found out a rule alteration to permit Ohtani to remain in video games as a chosen hitter after he’s pulled as a pitcher.

“I am hoping it occurs,” Maddon mentioned. “And the American League West is hoping it doesn’t, if I needed to guess.”