Shohei Ohtani didn’t start on the mound as scheduled after getting plunked on Sunday, but that didn’t stop the two-way star from putting on a show.
Ohtani flaunted his elite power and speed in the Angels’ 7-3 loss to the Rays on Monday at Angel Stadium, doubling on a routine grounder and launching a towering two-run shot high into the night. Just another routine showing for someone who also makes a living throwing off the mound.
In the first inning, Ohtani hit a sharp grounder up the middle that deflected off the glove of shortstop Willy Adames. The ball settled in short center field, and Ohtani didn’t hesitate, rounding first base and sliding into second base with a double.
His sprint speed of 29.0 feet per second — right in line with his season average — is two feet per second faster than the MLB average. He went home to first in 4.26 seconds, then sprinted the final 90 feet in 3.7 seconds.
On the next pitch, with Mike Trout batting, Ohtani broke for third, but was thrown out by Rays catcher Francisco Mejía. Maybe he was a little winded from his hustle double.
And as if to remind us all of his power, in the sixth inning he got a hold of a Tyler Glasnow slider, sending it a projected 427 feet to center field to put the Angels on the board, trailing 5-2. It was his ninth homer of the season, tied for the MLB lead, and left his bat at 110.3 mph. He knew it was gone.
