Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who used to work as both a pitcher and a batter, has shown an even more monstrous appearance by concentrating on batting this year. His average speed of 440 hits in the 2024 season is 95.4 miles per hour, which is the fastest since his MLB debut in 2018. He is also the third in the entire Major League this year. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, who has 310 total home runs, is currently the first in the league with a batting speed of 96 miles (154.5 kilometers).
Otani also increased the ratio of “hard hits” with speeds of more than 95 miles to 59.3 percent of his total hits. It is the best in his career, and second only to Judge (60.8 percent) in the entire 2024 season. This means that he is making faster and stronger hits.
Ohtani has the secret of phased physical modification and revision of his batting form. Ohtani constantly strives to develop as an athlete and accomplishes such achievements, drawing awe from fans. He weighed 65 kilograms when he entered Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, northeast of Japan. He was so skinny compared to his height (186 centimeters) that he seemed like a pair of chopsticks. After physical exercise, he gained up to 86 kilograms when he was a senior in high school.
When Ohtani was a Japanese pro baseball player, he signed a contract with a food company to receive nutritional support. He ate 4,500 kcal, twice the recommended daily calories of a man in his 20s, through food and protein products (protein). He also engaged in intensive muscle training. According to his current profile, his body shape (193 cm·95 kg) was created around this time.
Otani was a mid- to long-range hitter who hit 48 home runs (74 2-triples) in 403 Japanese games. After moving to the U.S. in 2018 and joining the Los Angeles Angels, he changed his batting posture to adapt himself to fastballs pitched by Major League pitchers. As a left-handed batter, he threw away the leg kick of lifting and stepping on the right foot from the second half of the exhibition game. Instead of giving up the “one-legged technique,” he changed his form by slightly raising and lowering the heel of his right foot to adjust the timing. Toe tap, which seems to be hitting the ground with the big toe, increases the accuracy of hitting, while disadvantages such as poor hitting ability. Over the past three years, from his debut in 2018 to 2020, when the season was shortened due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Otani had a total of 47 home runs (254 games). 메이저놀이터
Ohtani has started to upgrade his body again ahead of the 2021 season. While increasing energy efficiency, he also conducted blood tests to find food ingredients that can help improve performance and recover from fatigue. He reportedly stopped eating omelette for breakfast when his favorite egg did not fit him well. Otani’s body became very muscular after bulking up through systematic training. His actual weight is estimated to be around 102 to 105 kilograms.
Ohtani has also changed his swing trajectory to increase the angle of launch of his batting and thus produce more long balls. While firmly fixing his lower body, he uses his strong core (waist, pelvis, hip) muscles to rotate his torso to hit the ball. At this time, the upper swing hands do not let go of the bat until the end. The preparation motion is still, but the process from the moment he hits the ball to the finish is fast and pleasant. His improved body has enabled him to strike like a cartoon.
Ohtani has become a slugger who hit 124 homers for the past three years since 2021. In this season when he was not a pitcher, he poured his extra strength into hitting and running base plays. The ratio of hitting the sweet spot of the bat (37.5 percent) was also the highest this year, surpassing 50 home runs (51 home runs) for the first time. How far will “the evolution of monsters” go.
