Japanese Phenom Shohei Ohtani Signs With Los Angeles Angels
December 08, 2017
Fans of the Los Angeles Angels have had their prayers answered.
Japanese super star Shohei Otani has reportedly chosen to sign with the Angels after a lengthy negotiation and vetting process which basically saw every single Major League ball club vying for his services.Ohtani is one of the most sought-after Japanese players in history, with an incredibly unique skillset as both a pitcher and a hitter. As a member of the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Pacific League in Japan, he compiled a 42-15 record, a 2.52 ERA and an outstanding K/BB ratio of 624/200 on the mound. At the plate, he batted .286 with 48 home runs and 166 RBI in just 1,140 plate appearances.The question now is how the Angels will use him? Its undoubtable that Ohtani will be a member of the starting rotation, which at the moment isnt exactly a juggernaut, unless Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney and co. can remain healthy.But will the Angels decide to use Ohtani as a designated hitter as well? Its something we havent seen in the MLB on a regular basis ever before.The Angels do have a DH in Albert Pujols, who despite his long legacy as one of the best hitters ever, is currently one of the statistically worst hitters in all of baseball. It might be hard to tell an icon to take a seat, but when you have a prodigy like Ohanti entering the equation, how do you not pull the trigger?Although Ohtani had expressed interest in the Angels publicly before, much attention was instead paid to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and even the New York Yankees.Admit it though: A lineup with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani is cooler than any other possible outcome.