The future of Shohei Ohtani

[Seven]

Originally Posted by packs

I don’t know what Tanaka did but he also had a UCL issue and opted not to do surgery. Somehow he managed to be a kind of work horse for the Yankees anyway. I think they found the tear his first year over here too. Maybe there’s an option like that for Ohtani.

I think it had to do with the nature of Tanaka's tear, where it was located and the rehab work he did around it.

I will also say, that there is zero guarantee that Ohtani is a Hall of Famer. He needs to continue to put up the production on the offensive side of the baseball. I don't think Starting Pitching is a realistic, long term option. Maybe he might be able to compete as a high leverage reliever or closer, but this is his second UCL tear, the body can't handle this much strain. He is human, afterall.

[jayshum]

Ohtani is definitely not a guaranteed Hall of Famer yet although the potential is definitely there. Currently, he has a career WAR of 34.6, and it looks like a little over half of that is for his hitting. If he doesn't pitch any more, he will have to keep putting up some big numbers hitting (especially as a DH) to get his WAR up to the range where he will be likely to get voted in. He certainly has the potential to do it, and he will likely get a lot of consideration even if he's a little low based on the fact he did also pitch for 5 years, but not a lock yet.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Can anyone remember his last home run?

[Seven]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Can anyone remember his last home run?

August 23rd, was his last home run, Peter. I'm wondering if his torn UCL is contributing to his approach to the plate at all. Or if he's simply, going through the motions, knowing that the Angels won't make the playoffs and that he'll be somewhere else next season.

[bk400]

Since the injury, he's had 38 plate appearances, during which he had 8 hits, including 3 doubles and a triple, and 10 walks (4 intentional). He also stole 3 bases. OBP of 474 and OPS of 938. Wonder if he's taking something off his swing, while still producing at a reasonably high level.

[cgjackson222]

Originally Posted by bk400

Since the injury, he's had 38 plate appearances, during which he had 8 hits, including 3 doubles and a triple, and 10 walks (4 intentional). He also stole 3 bases. OBP of 474 and OPS of 938. Wonder if he's taking something off his swing, while still producing at a reasonably high level.

I'm not sure that not hitting a Home Run in 28 bats is indicative of anything--he's been hitting the ball hard, its just been in play.

But who knows.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by cgjackson222

I'm not sure that not hitting a Home Run in 28 bats is indicative of anything--he's been hitting the ball hard, its just been in play.

But who knows.

Any idea what Ohtani's longest stretch without a home run was this season before now? When Harper played most of last season after his elbow injury, he still hit for power so it seems like the injury itself shouldn't cause a home run drought, but if Ohtani has altered his swing because of it, there could be a connection to a power outage. However, over a long season, it could just be a brief anomaly.