The Los Angeles were very fortunate to see National League MVP Shohai Otani return to the pitcher’s mound and begin to witness the full range of baseball prowess.
Despite his ability to play two positions at the elite level, there was an unprecedented concept that October would turn the corner and move into the outfield. The only reason Otani has to be in the outfield is whether he is pitching from the bullpen and wants to stay in the game as a batsman after finishing on the mound.
Manager Dave Roberts spoke about his superstar offer to play in the outfield this postseason, if it was necessary to help his team.
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“I don’t know if it’s a dream or not, but it’s very admirable from Shohei,” Roberts said. “…There are a lot of variables, but to know that he can potentially get away there, that’s great, perhaps in theory.
Last week, Otani spoke about the situation that could occur this October, and how to prepare if necessary.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations with different people, and that topic has also appeared,” Otani said in a rough translation into English in Japanese. “That applies to the mound, and perhaps even the outfield. If I were to go as a rescuer, there might be situations where I need to defend in the outfield depending on what follows. So no matter what situation arises, I’ll be prepared to handle it.”
As Roberts pointed out, the fact that Otani provided such a massive change is a sign of a great leader and teammate.
This isn’t a completely new position for Otani, but it took him quite a while since he played a position that was neither a pitcher nor a designated batsman. Ohtani has recorded 62 outfield appearances at Nippon Proshile Baseball and has made seven outfield appearances in 2021 alongside the Los Angeles Angels.
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Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Immagn Image
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