Los Angeles Angels phenomenon Shohei Ohtani has returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time in over three years and is leaving an indelible mark on Major League Baseballs grandest stage. As the two-way ball player was eagerly looking for his first hit in the Bronx at the outset of the four-game series, Ohtanis exceptional athletic prowess has been complemented by his intoxicating charisma. New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge was in awe of Ohtani and called him a generational talent.
As he bombarded the right field seats with three home runs in the first two ball games of the series, baseballs exploded off Ohtanis bat producing rarely heard sounds even from the greatest of hitters. YES Network analyst David Cone repeatedly said during the broadcasts that Ohtani is an incomprehensible talent since everyone is still trying to process his aptitude to excel both as a hitter and pitcher at an elite level. Once viewed as a novel experiment with absurd comparisons to the immortal Babe Ruth, the splendor of Ohtani must be celebrated given the high degree of difficulty regarding his accomplishments.
The mythical aura that surrounds Ohtani has electrified Major League Baseball at a time of great animus and distrust. As he walked to the mound for his first start at Yankee Stadium, Ohtani was the author of a 2.58 earned run average (ERA) over 12 starts (59.1 innings) with 82 strikeouts. Concurrently, his name was atop Major League Baseballs leaderboard in extra base hits (49) and home runs (28). According to Baseball-References calculation of Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Ohtanis 3.3 offensive WAR combined with his 2.4 WAR for pitchers gave him an overall 5.7 WAR, the highest within the sport.
Ohtanis offensive exploits might have left fans in a state of euphoria, but his pitching debut at Yankee Stadium was disastrous. He surrendered seven runs on 41 pitches over two thirds of an inning while facing nine batters. Ohtani struggled with his command as evident with four base on balls and staying on the same page as catcher Kurt Suzuki. It was the worst outing of his major league career since facing six batters over 30 pitches in a ball game against the Oakland Athletics on July 26, 2020. Ohtani allowed five earned runs on three hits while surrendering three base on balls.
Heat and exhaustion likely played factors in Ohtanis poor pitching performance, but also presented an opportunity to closely examine the conundrums that Angels manager Joe Maddon confronts when dealing with his two-way ball player. If Maddon decides to allow Ohtani to hit in an American League ballpark while he is pitching, the Angels surrender the ability to use a designated hitter. Maddon either needs to get creative to keep Ohtanis bat in the lineup after he is removed from a ball game as a pitcher or sacrifice an important aspect of the Angels offense.
Yankee Stadium reopened at full capacity on June 18th against the Oakland Athletics. Over the first eight home ball games without capacity restrictions, the Yankees have averaged 23,943 fans based on box scores obtained from Baseball-Reference. According to the 2021 New York Yankees Media Guide, seating capacity is currently 46,537 which means the ball clubs attendance is operating at a 51.45 percent average. Even though Ohtani could not get out of the first inning and late arriving fans likely missed his Yankee Stadium pitching debut, the reported attendance was 30,714 which was the highest all season for the Yankees. The intrigue of Ohtani will help several major league ball clubs sell tickets this summer as seating capacity restrictions come to an end.
At the outset of the 2021 season, Ohtani was not among the top 20 most popular jerseys on Opening Day as reported by David Adler of MLB.com. Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association began releasing these rankings at the conclusion of the 2010 season. The list is compiled from the sales of jerseys purchased on MLBShop.com. Currently, varying types of Nike jerseys for Ohtani range anywhere in price for adults and children between $80.00 - $500.00.
Occasionally, lists have been revealed at different periods during the season such as Opening Day, All-Star festivities, and the postseason. Ohtanis best showing had occurred in 2018 as a rookie in which he was eighth on the list between Opening Day and the conclusion of the regular season. It is conceivable the next time we see a jointly published list, four of the top five in terms of jersey sales could be international ball players. Besides Ohtani, it would not be a surprise to see names such as Ronald Acuna, Jr., Fernando Tatis, Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. vying for the top spot on the list.
Ohtanis major league career began with curiosity which was quickly replaced by serious injuries. Surgeries to repair a damaged ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and bipartite patella in his left knee raised legitimate concerns as to whether Ohtani could ever live up to the lofty expectations. His resiliency and meticulous preparation have catapulted him into superstardom while also shining a bright light on Major League Baseballs treasure trove of young international ball players who are quickly becoming vital components for present and future prosperity.
Foreign substances, pace of play, poor offensive production, blackout restrictions, and an expiring collective bargaining agreement have set a rancorous tone for the 2021 season. Major League Baseball must use its upcoming crown jewel event, the 91st annual All-Star Game, to celebrate several endearing aspects of the sport beginning with Shohei Ohtani. His participation in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby is a healthy start, but Major League Baseball must also allow a national television audience to see the true beauty of Ohtani by letting him pitch and hit in the Midsummer Summer Classic.
