Jul
“In recent times, it appears as if there is no feat too big for Shohei Ohtani (well, apart from leading the Angels to a series of victories enough to quell trading speculations). Hence, it was no shocker that on Monday night, in a high-stakes encounter against the Yankees, the two-way phenom stepped up to the plate with two outs and a teammate on first base, and once again came through for his team.
Ohtani, who leads the league in home runs, unleashed a powerful shot that saw the ball sailing over the center field wall, resulting in a thrilling game-levelling homer off Michael King to balance the scoreboard at 3-3. This phenomenal hit was accompanied by an atypical display of emotion from the normally composed Shohei Ohtani, complete with a bat flip that was the perfect garnish to the situation.
OH MY, SHOHEI đŸ˜±
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/bNwZ2y39Jb
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 18, 2023
This commanding shot was his third consecutive game home run, adding to his case for the American League MVP award. It also marked his 23rd homer in the last 40 games (putting him on a 162-game trajectory for an unprecedented 93 home runs). It was his 35th of the season, putting him five ahead of National League leader Matt Olson, and eight ahead of the next closest AL hitter, Luis Robert Jr.
Despite an impressive season, Ohtani has faced some minor challenges, particularly when pitching. He has been grappling with a persistent blister on his right middle finger that has seen him struggle a bit on the mound. However, Angels’ manager Phil Nevin expressed confidence that Ohtani would be fit for his upcoming pitching start against the Pirates on Friday.
Evidently, this minor setback hasn’t hindered his homer-hitting prowess, nor, fortunately, his ability to execute the perfect bat flip.”
