Shohei Ohtani (29, LA Angels) of the Japanese baseball team is expected to play both pitcher and hitter in the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
According to MLB.com, the official homepage of Major League Baseball on the 6th (Korean time), Angels general manager Perry Manassian said, “The WBC will not place any restrictions on Ohtani’s play.”
“I look forward to seeing Ohtani pitch, hit, run and show off what a great player he is,” he said.
World-class players who are playing in the major leagues scramble for the WBC. However, if he is injured as much as the tournament is held before the start of the season, it can be a fatal loss to his ransom.
As a result, some major league clubs often oppose or conditionally accept their players’ participation in the WBC.
In particular, Ohtani, who plays both pitcher and hitter, is inevitably more at risk of injury and consumption of physical strength than others. The 2023 season is also important for Ohtani personally because he will become a free agent after this season.
However, the Angels made a ‘big decision’ not to put any restrictions on Ohtani.
However, the WBC has a pitch limit. You can throw 65 pitches in the first round, 80 pitches in the second round, and 95 pitches from the semifinals.
Ohtani is expected to pitch in the first round against Korea as a starting pitcher. In this case, on the premise that Japan is not eliminated, Ohtani is highly likely to make a comeback in the semifinals or finals.
However, since there are no restrictions as a hitter, Ohtani can play an active role in the rest of the games that do not pitch as a pitcher. There is a high possibility that he will start as a starting pitcher in the game against Korea right away, and at the same time he will be at bat. 스포츠토토
Ohtani has already played a top-notch role in Japanese professional baseball, as well as after entering the major leagues in 2018, as a pitcher.
Last year, as a pitcher, he recorded an average ERA of 2.33 and 219 strikeouts in 28 games, and as a hitter, he made a big success with a batting average of 0.273 and 34 homers and 95 RBIs in 157 games.
Meanwhile, Ohtani plans to join the Japanese national team after participating in the Angels’ spring camp first and moving on March 1st.