I remember when the brightest minds said he was a fourth outfielder. :)
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The videos on Shohei Ohtani's pitches are wicked scary. The kinetics on his swing are Bryce Harper-class, and then some. That's Point A.
Dr. D has been pleasantly surprised to find that there do exist Points B, C, and D. He would still give the fillings in his teeth for Ohtani, but ... there is a counter-perspective also, and we're only too glad to run it down for yer.
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(B) Earlier, our NPB superfan IcebreakerX had warned, Ohtani has never done both things, pitching and hitting, very well at the same time.
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(C) The Angels grabbed Ohtani, practically free, in the knowledge that the star's right elbow has a sprained UCL. It doesn't mean that Ohtani is not the best player in the world, perhaps, but it opens the door to a Stephen Strasburg-type TJ interruption to his career.
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(D) You have this from Bill James, who has rolled his eyes over "the great Shohei Ohtani" who "will make everybody forget Brooks Kieschnick":
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(E) The Angels have to adjust their roster, and their team, to a 6-man rotation and in other ways. MLB players don't have a great history when it comes to accepting hyped NPB stars in the first place. We'll see how it goes. Here is a Fangraphs piece that flat predicts a failure for a 6-man rotation in LA, based on the assessment that the Angels do not have anywhere near the pitching talent to support the #5-#6 starting pitcher slots. A good read, which will bring you up to speed on the Angels and .... from a skeptical point of view ;- )
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I'd be crossing circuits to say anything other than I'd love to have the kid. But for an M's fan, points (B) through (E) provide a little emotional shelter.
Let's just hope we're not hit by any subsequent bombshells, such as any involving Jake Arrieta.
BABVA,
Dr D