Ohtani hits hardest ball of season at 119 mph
The MLB season is hardly two weeks old, but there’s a good chance no one hits a ball harder than Shohei Ohtani did Monday.
The Angels’ two-way player – sporting a 1.109 OPS through his first 41 plate appearances this year – scalded a double off Royals reliever Scott Barlow to right field that one-hopped the wall and left the bat at 119 mph, according to MLB’s Statcast.
Two runs scored to give the Angels a 6-3 lead in the seventh inning, and Ohtani joined an exclusive list of players who have hit a ball that hard since Statcast began tracking in 2015. The 2018 American League Rookie of the Year is the first left-handed hitter to join the 119mph-plus club. The others:
• Aaron Judge (Yankees).
• Gary Sánchez (Yankees). h Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees). h Nelson Cruz (Twins).
“It’s impressive,” manager Joe Maddon said, via MLB.com. “He’s an impressive athlete. And right now, he can’t feel any better about himself or have any more self-confidence.”
Ohtani’s second double of the night, which came in the ninth inning, wasn’t as hard hit; it left the bat at 83.8 mph and had an expecting batting average of .050.
Ohtani, 26, is batting .333 and has seven extra-base hits (three homers, three doubles, two triples) with 11 RBI and 11 strikeouts to start the year. One of those homers included a 451-foot blast that came during his first start on the mound April 4.
The Angels skipped him in his rotation spot this past weekend as he deals with a blister that has nagged him since before the season. He threw a light bullpen session Monday but will have a higher-intensity side session that should provide a clearer picture of whether he can pitch through it.