"Otani, shouldn't the pitcher stop now?" U.S. media rave reviews, "'50 Home Runs - 30 Steals' is as good as '40-70'
Jul 09, 2024
|
|
That's because 30 home runs and 50 steals were only achieved twice, more than 30 years ago in 1987 (Eric Davis, 37 home runs and 50 steals) and 1990 (Barry Bonds, 33 home runs and 52 steals), and 30 home runs and 60 steals were considered to be the realm of God that no one could even dare to do.
Of course, 40 home runs and 40 steals, a similar symbol of the Hotajun people, are historically considered a true record and a milestone only allowed for four players: Jose Canseco in 1988, Bonds in 1996, Alex Rodriguez in 1998, and Alfonso Soriano in 2006.
Here, you can think of 50 home runs and 30 steals as a record that may exist in another impossible world, a world in cartoons. No player has opened this club yet. Larry Walker of the Colorado Rockies in 1997 was still close to this unexplored world. He was named National League MVP that year with a batting average of 0.366, 49 homers, 130 RBIs and 33 steals. Twenty-two out of 28 BBWAA (National Baseball Journalists Association) voted for him. The most highly evaluated part was that there was only one home run short of 50 home runs and 30 steals.
Rodriguez (54 homers, 24 steals) in 2007 and Willie Mays (51 homers, 24 steals) in 1955 were the closest hitters ever to 30 steals. Mace's achievements 69 years ago deserve special evaluation from the perspective of modern baseball, in which the `combination of power and speed' is emphasized as a virtue.
With 40 home runs and 70 steals conquered, it is said these days that it will be difficult for 50 home runs and 30 steals to remain 'impregnable'.
|
Ohtani is the third batter in Dodgers history to hit 20 home runs and 20 steals before the All-Star break. Previously, Davy Lobbes in 1979 and Matt Kemp in 2011 marked 20 home runs and 20 steals in the first half. From Ohtani's point of view, 50 home runs are bound to look a little further away from 30 steals. If you pick a difficult record among 22 home runs and 10 steals in the remaining 71 games, it is because 22 home runs are anyone's guess.
Ohtani's record for most home runs in a season is 46 in 2021, and his record for most stolen bases is 26 that year. Still, the reason why there is a high possibility of 50 home runs this season is that detailed batting indicators on Statcast point to career high. The average batting speed (95.5 miles), hard hit ratio (60.8%), and barrel ratio per at-bat (12.9%) remain at the highest level of their lives.
In two words, the power is a minor noise, and above all, the hit that hits correctly is supporting the back. Ohtani ranked second in the NL with a batting average of 0.314. He shares the top spot with San Diego Padres Jurickson Profar (0.315). The proportion of strikeouts compared to at-bats is 21.6%, the lowest in life.
Among the basic and expanded stats, Ohtani ranks first in the NL in six categories: scoring (72), home run (28), slugging (0.637), OPS (1.036), slugging (53), and Ruta (221). The stolen base is tied for fifth in the NL.
The driving force behind Ohtani's phenomenal move at bat is 'because he doesn't throw a pitcher.'" Ohtani underwent ligament reconstruction surgery in his right elbow in September last year. Tommy John Surgery's rehabilitation period is 6-8 months for batters and 12-18 months for pitchers. He has been playing since the opening game of the season as a batter this season, but he does not throw as a pitcher. However, it is worth recalling that he has been rehabilitating as a pitcher such as catch ball since April.
He is committed to designated hitters who do not defend, so he can swing the bat as much as he wants. It is said that managing the starting rotation by playing batters in parallel is tricky and quite stressful. Ohtani also acknowledged this.
|
ESPN May 21st 'Is Shohei Otani so good as a batter that he doesn't have to pitcher like Babe Ruth?published an article titled ' Reporter Bratford Dolittle, who wrote the article, covered the view of 「Isn't it okay to give up the pitcher」 through various interviews and records as Ohtani, who received Tommy John Surgery last year, is considered a strong MVP candidate by ranking first in major offensive categories such as OPS, batting average, hits and slugging percentage this year thanks to his focus on hitting.
On the 8th, Wall Street Journal reporter Lindsey Adler asked 'Shohei Otani should give up pitching?In a column titled ', Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese pitching superstar, has spent a tremendous season as a hitter this year, making a step in which he does not have to take the mound again.
However, Ohtani has no intention of giving up the pitcher. In a local media interview on May 28, he said, `Now I'm only focusing on hitting, so I don't know if I can do the old level of pitching and hitting, but throwing is fun.' `Any starting pitcher feels nervous on the day of the game. I miss that kind of feeling in a way. But now, it's important to focus on rehabilitation every day."
jhno@sportschosun.com
