Shohei Ohtani Signs With Angels

NPB Stats

Hitting: 8 HR, 31 RBI, .332/.403/.540, 0 SB

Pitching: 3-2, 3.20 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 29/19 K/BB, 25.1 IP

After whittling the field down to seven teams (Mariners, Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Rangers, Cubs, Padres), Japanese two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has signed with the Los Angeles Angels. This is huge news for the franchise that already has baseball's best player, Mike Trout, as Ohtani comes well below market price. After shelling out $20 million to Ohtani's Japanese team, the Nippon-Ham Fighters, the Angels will kick just over $2 million to Ohtani as a signing bonus, saving a boatload of money from what they would have spent for a comparable talent on the open market. Let's start with the hitting. It is unclear what position Ohtani will play when he is not on the mound, but he will likely split time between DH and the outfield, giving the Angels a loaded Trout-Justin Upton-Ohtani outfield on some days. His hitting, in my opinion, is more of a question than his pitching, but the man can mash. He missed much of this past season to an ankle injury, but when he was on the field, he slashed .332/.403/.540 with eight home runs in 65 games. Back in 2016, when he was healthy, he crushed 22 home runs and slashed .322/.416/.588 in 104 games, showcasing big time power and an ability to get on base. I am a bit troubled by his strikeout rate, which sits at 26.3% over the past two seasons compared to a 12.7% walk rate, as he may have difficulty hitting superior major league pitching. He's more of a sure thing as a pitcher, where he'll slot into a banged up rotation that includes some combination of Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, J.C. Ramirez, Andrew Heaney, and Parker Bridwell. None of those six threw more than 147.1 innings last year, and only Ramirez and Bridwell even threw more than 85. Ohtani's fastball sits in the upper 90's and was once clocked at 102.5 MPH, the fastest in Japanese history. Meanwhile, he brings a slew of offspeed pitches that can all grade as plus, giving him weapons galore to use against major league hitters. In his injury-limited 2017 in Japan, he posted a 3.20 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP over five starts, striking out 29 and walking 19 in 25.1 innings. However, his healthy 2016 stats tell the real story, as he went 10-4 with a 1.86 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP over 21 starts, striking out 174 and walking 45 in 140 innings. At this point, it looks like the only thing that could do him in on the mound are walks, so if he keeps those down, he could be an ace. Remember, he doesn't even turn 24 until July. This is a truly special talent. There is still work to be done, as they need at least one more consistent starter, and there is a gaping hole at second base. If they fill those spots and Albert Pujols, Kole Calhoun, and C.J. Cron can bounce back, they will give the Astros a run for their money in the AL West. Angels, get to work.