Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani returned to the starting mound in his outing against the San Francisco Giants where he extended his performance to three innings without allowing a run. This is the first time the Japanese pitcher has completed a third of a game this season, where he struck out four batters. The fact that he also leads the National League in home runs (32) reinforces the legend that he continues to write with each game.
Dodgers assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness spoke not only of Ohtani’s brilliance on the mound and delivering quality innings, but also of a specific facet of his game that sets him apart from the rest. “He uses the ground better than any pitcher I’ve ever seen. Just the marks he creates when he pushes off and even when he finishes his pitch. The amount of energy he sends is unheard of to me. We’ve had several really incredible pitchers, Hall of Famers, and I’ve never seen anyone use the ground like he does.”
Shohei Ohtani’s secret to standing out as one of the best pitchers in MLB
The elite power that Ohtani generates and his ability to make hitters swing and miss consistently has allowed him to be considered one of the best pitchers of recent years. He struck out 30.8% of the time during his pitching season in 2023, the last year he had a full season as a pitcher. As McGuiness noted, this ability to use something that every pitcher uses day in and day out to fuel their success is miraculous, but for someone who has had multiple elbow surgeries, it may come from necessity.
In the sample of nine innings that Ohtani has presented this season, his fastball is still among the best in baseball. His average of 98.4 mph on the four-seam fastball is in the 95th percentile of MLB this season. His .143 batting average against it is just as severe for those who unfortunately have to line up in front of him. Regardless of why Ohtani is so good at using the ground to generate power, he is certainly working his way into the Hall of Fame, according to McGuiness.
The end of the first half of the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers
This Sunday, July 13, the Los Angeles Dodgers will close out the first half of the season against the San Francisco Giants in the third game as visitors. On Saturday, Emmet Sheehan allowed the Dodgers to snap a seven-game losing streak and avoid a third straight series loss.
After the end of the first half of the 2025 MLB season, American and National League players are preparing to play the All-Star Game, which will be held on Tuesday, July 15 in Atlanta, Georgia, and a day earlier the “Home Run Derby” will be held. A couple of days that will help managers to reflect on their performance ahead of the start of the second half of the campaign in the search to play in the Fall Classic.
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