ANAHEIM — Shohei Ohtani’s greatness can be measured in the spin rate of his fastball, the exit velocity of his booming home runs and the decibel level he generates in the stands. But it shines in quieter moments, too.
Ohtani had thrown 97 high-effort pitches while subduing the Giants over six innings Wednesday. He threw 32 alone in a grueling second inning. He took three plate appearances, drew an intentional walk and sprinted from first to third on an error. He was playing his 15th game in 14 days, twice pulling double duty on the mound during that span.
“The man’s just tired,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said.
He has a funny way of showing it. At the end of a muggy night and at the finish line of a rigorous stretch, after Ohtani drew a walk in the eighth inning, he still had enough competitive drive and presence of mind to tag up and take second base on a fly out. To right field. In a game the Angels, due in large part to his performance on the mound, were leading 4-1.
Giants third baseman J.D. Davis watched in amazement.
“I truly did not know how fast he was,” Davis said. “And how well conditioned and mentally strong he is. That was a heads-up play right there, knowing it’s going to be hard for (right fielder Michael) Conforto to turn and throw. I mean, he’s done pitching but he’s still locked in. For him to have that baseball IQ and that speed and will to perform … impressive doesn’t really begin to describe it.”
That is what you’re getting with Ohtani. That is what every deep-pocketed major-league team will seek to obtain when the Angels’ 29-year-old wonder becomes a free agent in a matter of months. Even if Ohtani makes the decision to pare down and focus on hitting at some point in his career, he’d still be close to the total package — a self-motivated position player and impact power hitter who also generates value with his base running, his instincts, his unwavering competitive zeal and … who knows what else?
“It’s a great question,” Davis said. “If he concentrated on hitting, instead of .300 with 40 home runs, he’d probably be hitting .320 with 50 home runs. Who knows? Maybe he plays center field with how fast he is and he runs everything down. Maybe he’s making extraordinary play night after night, doing something else we’ve never really seen.”
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