When a superstar somehow manages to still leave jaws wide open, fans know they are truly witnessing something special. The greatness of Los Angeles Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani apparently knows no bounds after another superb start put him in rare company, so rare it has not been seen in over a century.
“Dating back to last season, Shohei Ohtani has 7 straight starts with at least 5 innings pitched and 3 or fewer hits allowed,” ESPN Stats & Info Tweeted. “That is tied for the 2nd-longest streak in MLB since the mound moved to its current distance in 1893 (Jacob deGrom had 8 straight in 2021).”
Ohtani blanked the Washington Nationals on Tuesday to lead the Angels to a 2-0 win, allowing just one hit in seven innings of work. His consistent excellence while also putting up big numbers behind the plate is a puzzle that may never be solved. He has again raised the bar for what a baseball player can do in the modern game.
After an unprecedented year by Aaron Judge stood in the way of back-to-back MVPs for the Japanese unicorn, 2023 could be poised for a return to Shohei supremacy. He is 3-0 with a nearly immaculate 0.47 ERA. The crazy thing? He has not even displayed the best command over the strike zone with an average of four walks per outing. The fact that there is room for improvement should terrify everyone.
Ohtani's dominance joins an exclusive club, as Jacob deGrom was drawing Sandy Koufax comparisons during his 2021 run. He ultimately only made 15 starts, though, due to injury. If Ohtani can surpass that number while still mowing through lineups with ease, fans will again be left speechless by his talent.
Shohei Ohtani is doing his best to put all of baseball in a time machine with the heights he reaches night after night.
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