Scheduled to leave for Japan on Wednesday in advance of the World Baseball Classic, the two-way star pitches to eight batters with two walks, two strikeouts and no hits.
MESA, Ariz. — Shohei Ohtani was scheduled to take the mound for two innings in his 2023 spring training pitching debut Tuesday afternoon but as with everything else in his major league career, he gave even more.
“This was the first real game this year so I wanted to ease in and try to hit around 95 and I was able to do that,” Ohtani said through an interpreter about his 1-2-3 first inning. “In the second inning, I would have really liked to hit 100, but 98. I was pretty satisfied with that.” “It’s a good sign that you guys don’t know,” Ohtani said, first getting a laugh from Japanese reporters gathered around him, then another when his answer was translated into English.
Ohtani also heads into a free-agent season as a once-in-a-generation two-way player who can hit and pitch at the highest of levels. He owns a combination of physical and mental tools the game has never seen.“I think as long as I get games under my belt, I should be fine,” he said.
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