All the talk of the All-Star game has been about Los Angeles Angels two-way standout Shohei Ohtani and his incredible impact on the baseball world.
Despite an underwhelming Home Run Derby effort, the Japanese superstar has transcended the game with his efforts with ball and bat. He is putting up incredible numbers for a two-way player and he’s on track to break all sorts of records.
If Ohtani was to face himself, how would he perform? Odds used are for entertainment purposes only, but it’s fascinating to see how he would perform.
We look at his batting and pitching statistics, followed by the Ohtani vs Ohtani odds, which are available to view for entertainment at the BetUS online sportsbook.
Ohtani’s Pitching Statistics
Othani’s pitching stats aren’t mind-blowing at face value, but the 27-year-old has an arsenal that can make many pitchers envious.
He has a four-seam fastball that averages 97 mph and he has recorded a 102.5 mph pitch, which is low-flying. He also possesses a forkball that produces plenty of swings and misses.
Ohtani’s curveball and slider are also fantastic put-away pitches and he has often been compared to Justin Verlander, which is a big call.
He owns a 4-1 record at the All-Star break from 13 games started. Ohtani’s ERA is 3.49 and he has allowed only 46 hits from 67 innings pitched. The Japanese superstar has allowed only six home runs, 28 runs and an opposing batting average of .195.
Shohei Ohtani is better than Babe Ruth at pitching and hitting – Sports Illustrated cc: @OldTownCards https://t.co/ZKQtIdIPDS
— Cards 4 Good (@Cards4GoodCA) July 7, 2021
Allowing walks has been an issue (35), but for a player who also hits in his games, we’re prepared to overlook that statistic.
His body of work as a pitcher in the majors is limited, but the signs of greatness are there. We wouldn’t put him in our top five baseball pitchers, but as a dual-threat player, he’s on top.
Pitching once every six days or longer is too much time between drinks for Ohtani, who would like to hit the mound more often.
“I would like to play more,” Ohtani told The Guardian. “But if not, that’s what it is. I have to follow what they say.
“I came here to do the two-way thing. That’s a big motivation for me to try to prove to everyone I’m capable of that.”
Ohtani’s Batting Statistics
Ohtani swatted 22 home runs and knocked in 61 runs in 114 games as a rookie in 2018 and followed that up with 18 homers, 62 RBIs and 110 hits in 384 at-bats the following season. Not easily numbers to replicate but he is easily surpassing them this season.
“Shotime” has had 301 at-bats at the All-Star break and leads the majors with 33 home runs to go along with 70 RBIs. He is smashing the cover off the ball and also has 12 stolen bases, so he has a rare ability to hit for power and show speed on the bases.
Though he was eliminated in the 1st Round by Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani hit six 500-foot home runs, the most in a single Home Run Derby since Statcast began tracking in 2016. pic.twitter.com/uJOW6NwIbf
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 13, 2021
If you were to design the perfect baseball player on a simulation, Ohtani would be a good model. He has the body, mind and competitive edge to become a generational player in the sport.
His .279 average is down on his 2019 career high of .286, but that’s always going to come when hitting for power. His slugging percentage has increased signifiantly, from .505 to .698.
Ohtani’s on-base slugging percentage is 1.062, so he’s one of the best in the league, and with 56 extra base hits already this year, he is on track to produce incredible numbers.
He is already being compared to Babe Ruth, with many observers believing he’s in a league of his own. Ohtani needs to deliver at this rate consistently for five to 10 years to be put in that league, but he’s going about his business in fine style.
Pitcher vs Batter
BetUS has crunched the numbers to see how he would perform pitching to himself.
The novelty markets are based on a 100 at-bat simulation and we think he would perform better at a batter.
We give credit to his pitching skills, but he has consistently hit the best pitchers in the majors without fear. We have no doubt his batting average would be above the .253 number posted with the online sportsbook.
We also think he would hit over 5½ doubles from the 100 pitches, but we don’t think he will hit over 6½ home runs. His pitches are tough to get over the wall and the pure speed and angle makes it difficult, even for a player like himself.
Ohtani is likely to reach base via walks. The line is set at 14½, so that’s a high number from 100 at-bats. He has struggled with walking hitters and because he’s patient, he will gladly take the free passes.
The strikeout number is set at 42½. That is too high and Ohtani is a more disciplined hitter than a strikeout pitcher. Given we think his batting average will soar above .253, we couldn’t take the over in this market.
If we were building a team and we had to choose between Ohtani the pitcher and Ohtani the batter, we would take the batter every time.
