Shohei Otani

[ShotgunDawg]

If you have time soon, take a look at the Angles new Japanese phenom Shohei Otani. It's worth your while.

This guy is an absolute force of nature, & maybe, just maybe the most tooled out baseball player we've ever seen. ( Bo Jackson & Griffey didn't pitch)

Here is what we know so far:

- He's a two way player, which has happened only a few times in the modern era of baseball

- He's one of the 10 fastest players in Major League baseball. He runs 29.8 ft per second. League best is 30 ft per second.

- He has homered in 3 straight games with his homer tonight coming off the bat at 112 mph, which is elite.

- He went 6 innings on the mound a few nights ago vs Oakland with an average FB velocity of 98 mph. He basically looks like a more twitchy Yu Darvish on the mound.

This guy may end up sucking but he may be one of the most talented players to ever put on the uniform.

His profile will make MLB set new arbitration rules in 3 years. Does he get paid as one player or two players? Does he get two arbitration hearings or only 1? Arbitration is determined by traditional stats, but what do you do with a two way guy?

Lots of ground breaking stuff going here & I recommend everyone taking a look.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRCWkCfUk0o


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxfAX-HVZEg

[Bulldog1]

If you have time soon, take a look at the Angles new Japanese phenom Shohei Otani. It's worth your while.

This guy is an absolute force of nature, & maybe, just maybe the most tooled out baseball player we've ever seen. ( Bo Jackson & Griffey didn't pitch)

Here is what we know so far:

- He's a two way player, which has happened only a few times in the modern era of baseball

- He's one of the 10 fastest players in Major League baseball. He runs 29.8 ft per second. League best is 30 ft per second.

- He has homered in 3 straight games with his homer tonight coming off the bat at 112 mph, which is elite.

- He went 6 innings on the mound a few nights ago vs Oakland with an average FB velocity of 98 mph. He basically looks like a more twitchy Yu Darvish on the mound.

This guy may end up sucking but he may be one of the most talented players to ever put on the uniform.

His profile will make MLB set new arbitration rules in 3 years. Does he get paid as one player or two players? Does he get two arbitration hearings or only 1? Arbitration is determined by traditional stats, but what do you do with a two way guy?

Lots of ground breaking stuff going here & I recommend everyone taking a look.
I’ve watched a little bit of him play. Dude is legit. His batting stance resembles Ichiro, as he runs out of the box as he swings.

[BdoginLa]

I?ve watched a little bit of him play. Dude is legit. His batting stance resembles Ichiro, as he runs out of the box as he swings.

Me and my two sons were at the Tuesday and Wednesday games . His homerun on Tuesday was within 48 hrs of his Sunday win . First time happened since the babe did it in 1921. Awesome game that produced 5 Hrs in first 3 innings . Also my oldest (12) was in the background of Wednesday #7 on SC Top Ten. He was wearing a Dak Prescott Cowboys jersey in a sea of Angel red as Kyke Calhoun grabbed a foul ball out of the stands .

[Todd4State]

I think it's awesome that there is a legit two way star in MLB. It's one thing to be Brooks Kieshnick and be a fourth outfield/pinch hit/middle relief/situational relief guy but this guy could be an ace/legit corner outfield guy.

I had been aware of Ohtani for awhile but I always figured because of the MLB substitution rules it might be best to use him as a RF/closer type of guy so I am surprised that he's a starting pitcher.

Had Babe Ruth played in this era I think he could actually handle being a pitcher/RF/DH so he was ahead of his time in that regard because Ruth's best position in the field was pitcher.

[Pit Bull]

Wrote on here last Sunday night after I watched his first start as a pitcher and hitter against the Indians. Was hitting 100 mph occasionally and operated mostly in the upper 90's with his fastball. Then got up at his first MLB at bat and ala Will Clark, hit a 3-run bomb. All I could say was "WoW"!!....what a player. And everybody thought he would just be another so-so Jap player. Then of course, others on here, including Todd and C34 lambasted me about even talking about the Angels....and how bad they were. Well, the main point was about this guy....not the Angels. And if Ohtani has anything to do with it, he Trout, Puljos, and a bunch of other gorilla ball Angel hitters could turn their team's fortunes around. Another point, was I felt MSU should start recruiting players similar to these physiques and hitting prowess like we've had in past history. But, god forbid I try to compare MLB players size to silly college boys.

[Bully13]

I'm just glad dude wasn't born some 100 yrs ago cuz we'd prolly all be speaking Japanese now.

[Cooterpoot]

MLB will adjust to him after they have enough video. But he’s still legit. Will be interesting to see how they use him.

[Todd4State]

Wrote on here last Sunday night after I watched his first start as a pitcher and hitter against the Indians. Was hitting 100 mph occasionally and operated mostly in the upper 90's with his fastball. Then got up at his first MLB at bat and ala Will Clark, hit a 3-run bomb. All I could say was "WoW"!!....what a player. And everybody thought he would just be another so-so Jap player. Then of course, others on here, including Todd and C34 lambasted me about even talking about the Angels....and how bad they were. Well, the main point was about this guy....not the Angels. And if Ohtani has anything to do with it, he Trout, Puljos, and a bunch of other gorilla ball Angel hitters could turn their team's fortunes around. Another point, was I felt MSU should start recruiting players similar to these physiques and hitting prowess like we've had in past history. But, god forbid I try to compare MLB players size to silly college boys.

Sorry I lambasted you but the fact of the matter is comparing MLB players to college players is apples and oranges.

[Pit Bull]

MLB will adjust to him after they have enough video. But he’s still legit. Will be interesting to see how they use him.

The announcer during that first game vs the Indians said....he would pitch his normal rotation (think every 5 days). Then, he would get 1 rest day immediately following the day he pitched, then DH for 2 games. Then another rest day prior to the day he is scheduled to pitch next. Sounds reasonable. Of course travel days will have to be factored in as well. The way he swings the bat, I can't blame the Angels for not wanting to use him in their battery whenever possible. Dude is not your typical Jap physique.....he's 6'4"/ 205....pretty imposing as a pitcher and hitter. I would think it's a plus if they were to make the World Series too. And if they need a left handed pinch hitter in spots. If he gets on base, put in a pinch runner to keep his injury exposure down.

[PassInterference]

WTF is this getting paid like 2 players bullshit? He is not 2 players even if he is as talented as 2 players. He is still one body and one injury risk. Pay the man what he?s worth, which is probably a lot, and move on.

[Dawg61]

I'm just glad dude wasn't born some 100 yrs ago cuz we'd prolly all be speaking Japanese now.

Wut

[Pit Bull]

Sorry I lambasted you but the fact of the matter is comparing MLB players to college players is apples and oranges.

Wasn't directly comparing specific players.....just that we need legit power throughout our lineup. Like Will Clark, Bruce Castoria, Jeff Flagg, Palmeiro, Nate Lowe?, Rooker, Renfro, etc. I once attended a game where Clark hit a ball so far it went over the RCF field fence, the ballpark fence, the road immediately outside the ballpark, and into where the RV park is now......then rolled all the way down the hill into Chadwick Lake. This years team struggles to hit one over our 305' RF corner wall. When we get our new coach, I'm sure this will be addressed.

[Bulldog1]

Wut

I thought it was pretty funny! But I don’t know what it means lol.

[Bully13]

y'all have got to be kidding. do you not realize we were at war with Japan in WWII?

[Bulldog1]

y'all have got to be kidding. do you not realize we were at war with Japan in WWII?

Yes. I thought you meant something else lol

[Bully13]

Yes. I thought you meant something else lol

just curious, what else were you thinking?

[Ezsoil]

I’m glad I took a shot on him in Fantasy

[Bulldog1]

just curious, what else were you thinking?

That we would be praising him for his awesomeness and he would rule us. I was way off haha

[Bully13]

That we would be praising him for his awesomeness and he would rule us. I was way off haha

ahh, ok, that's funny LOL

[ShotgunDawg]

WTF is this getting paid like 2 players bullshit? He is not 2 players even if he is as talented as 2 players. He is still one body and one injury risk. Pay the man what he?s worth, which is probably a lot, and move on.

What you say is true when it comes to free agency but the arbitration system does not work that way.

MLB arbitration is based off paying the player what the average of players in MLB with his counting statistics (HR, batting average, ERA, etc) are making.

Thus, how can an arbitrator determine what he is worth if there is no one else to compare him too?

That why he needs 2 arbitration hearings. 1. To determine his worth as a position player and 2. To determine his worth as a pitcher.

Again, no one has done this. So precedent will be set.