Shohei Ohtani's Splitter Is What Makes Him Truly Great According to PITCHf/x data from Baseball Prospectus, hitters miss 60.26 percent of the time they swing for an Ohtani splitter. I spoke with Perry [Minasian, Angels general manager] in spring training, and we decided just to watch and see how hes doing and make decisions based on where hes at during the course of the year. Your login session has expired. data-styled.g167[id="Styles__StoryPartContainer-sc-1mfrmm0-0"]{content:"groqnz,"}/*!sc*/ It was one thing to hear about Ohtani's 100 mph fastball and watch the Nippon Professional Baseball highlights on YouTube in the winter of 2017-18. Hes based on feel. h1.Styles__HeadlineContainer-sc-19rm04l-0{font-size:2.074rem;margin-bottom:8px;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani 's first spring training start for the Los Angeles Angels will be against his fellow countryman: The Athletics' Shintaro Fujinami. Hitters swung at Ohtani's splitter a total of 95 times in 2018. @media only screen and (min-width:568px){.kwDmpG{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-flex:1;-webkit-flex-grow:1;-ms-flex-positive:1;flex-grow:1;margin-right:8px;}}/*!sc*/ Some of that was evident in the second inning, which he began by walking the first three batters -- including a four-pitch walk to Trey Cabbage that loaded the bases with no outs.\n\nAfter a visit from As pitching coach Scott Emerson, though, Fujinami settled in, notching a strikeout on a well-placed 97 mph fastball that froze Aaron Whitefield and inducing an inning-ending double play against Livan Soto.\n\nI felt really good in the first inning, but I was trying to do too much in the second, Fujinami said through interpreter Issei Kamada. .mHQYb .p-search{display:block;position:relative;color:#333333;width:inherit;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__item:focus,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__item:hover{border-radius:3px;background-color:#dddddd;color:#002867;}/*!sc*/ Well start attacking hitters and thinking the same way. sub,sup{font-size:75%;line-height:0;position:relative;vertical-align:baseline;}/*!sc*/ Professional debut; NPB: March 29, 2013, for the Hokkaid Nippon-Ham Fighters MLB: March 29, 2018, for the Los Angeles Angels NPB statistics (through 2017 season) Win-loss record: 42-15: Earned run average: 2.52: Strikeouts: 624: Batting average.286: Home runs Shohei Ohtani (@shoheiohtani__) / Twitter Today went really smooth. .blUWSx .share-icon__square{width:30px;}/*!sc*/ 19 Nov, 2021 Ohtani is both an ace pitcher and a slugger at bat. Angels: Shohei Ohtani delights fans by sprinting out a home run That was part of the original plan, Maddon said. @media (min-width:1024px){.groqnz.markdown,.groqnz.photo figcaption,.groqnz.oembed .social-embed{padding:0;}}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__team{width:100%;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}/*!sc*/ Ohtani's NEW Splitter: One of the Best Pitches Getting Better - YouTube There are only four pitches in baseball right now that hitters have gone hitless against in 20 or more plate appearances: Ohtani's splitter, Dustin May's curveball, Carlos Rodn's slider and Will Smith's slider. Feel free to round that up to 100 if you want. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-logo img,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-logo a{height:56px;}/*!sc*/ Its a downright filthy pitch that ranks 11th in whiff rate and 26th in run value per 100 in all of baseball. A few weeks before that, on April 8, when he took a perfect game into the seventh inning in his second MLB start, he fanned Marcus Semien with a 99.6 mph fastball for his personal-best strikeout velo in the big leagues. .fAmXvR{background:#f3f3f3;border-radius:6px;color:#444444;font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-weight:500;padding:16px 16px 24px;}/*!sc*/ Despite poor performance, Ohtani is opting to throw the cutter on 11.3% of pitches, while going four-seam fastball 53.1%, slider 13.4%, and splitter 18.5%. template{display:none;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item .icon__subnav-arrow{-webkit-transform:rotate(-90deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-90deg);transform:rotate(-90deg);margin-right:0;width:11px;height:11px;float:none;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani the splitter king? Angels ace throws it 55 times - Los .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos > *{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;}/*!sc*/ Colby Olson | .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item__subnav-arrow{color:#ffffff;margin-left:auto;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;font-size:10px;opacity:0.5;}/*!sc*/ Despite his splitter looking practically unhittable on the first two strikeouts, he said he would like to be able to throw it as a means of getting ahead in the count as well. @media screen and (-ms-high-contrast:active),(-ms-high-contrast:none){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo{height:30px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo img{min-height:30px;height:auto !important;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__tagline img{width:100%;}}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g11[id="buttonstyle__StyledButton-sc-vlv7w5-1"]{content:"hspSPq,"}/*!sc*/ Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani pumps his fist after striking out Oaklands Matt Chapman to end the eighth inning Sunday. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo--mlb{-webkit-box-flex:99;-webkit-flex-grow:99;-ms-flex-positive:99;flex-grow:99;padding-right:0;padding-left:28px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner .p-icon *{fill:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g143[id="Styles__SocialContainer-sc-1h38xz1-0"]{content:"blLcNM,"}/*!sc*/ Highest whiff rate with a single pitch type, 2021 .iwXciG{display:inline-block;}/*!sc*/ I think its consistent with the whole attitude we had all year, where Im not gonna kind of baby him, Im just going to let him go out there and play baseball, Maddon said before the game. .hHLkAw input::-webkit-input-placeholder{color:#aaaaaa;}/*!sc*/ Well, you should see what's happening in 2021. .kwDmpG{display:block;font-weight:500;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-items{background-color:#041E42;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon{background:none;padding:0px;width:24px;height:18px;position:relative;margin:0px auto;-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transition:0.5s ease-in-out;transition:0.5s ease-in-out;cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ Lowest BA allowed by SP on a single pitch typeSince Ohtani's MLB debut1) Shohei Ohtani's splitter, 2018 -- .036 BA (2-for-55)2) Tyler Glasnow's slider, 2018 -- .083 BA (4-for-48)3) Anibal Sanchez's changeup, 2018 -- .091 BA (5-for-55)4) Trevor Bauer's slider, 2018 -- .095 BA (14-for-147)5) Blake Snell's slider, 2018 -- .096 BA (8-for-83)Mininum 50 PA ending on that pitch type. Now imagine that Ohtani, feeling strong and healthy and like he could maybe start throwing 50 or more splitters per game for a short period of time, gets to make a few starts in the playoffs. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first MLB player since the dead-ball era1 to get two wins as a pitcher and hit three home runs in his teams first 10 games of a season meaning few baseball fans were alive the last time a two-way player did what Ohtani has done. Next Tournament: Yakushi: Best batting lineup Seido: Best pitching lineup .ggWmAj .sticky-header__header{grid-column:1 / span 8;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header{width:100%;font-family:'proxima-nova','mlb-primary','Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica','Arial',sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-size:14px;font-weight:500;line-height:15px;color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Fujinami came away from the outing with things to work on for the next time out. Today went really smooth. Since Ohtani's MLB debut 1) Shohei Ohtani's splitter, 2018 -- 56.4% 2) Blake Snell's curveball, 2019 -- 54.9% 3) Patrick Corbin's slider, 2018 -- 53.6% 4) Blake Snell's curveball, 2018 -- 53.4% 5) Kyle Gibson's slider, 2019 -- 52.6% Minimum 75 swings against that pitch type "I don't have a sinker," Ohtani said demurely, amid laughter in his shy yet proficient English. .eJdqRG a:hover{color:#0048AB;}/*!sc*/ @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-black-italic.woff2') format('woff2'),url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-black-italic.woff') format('woff');font-style:italic;font-weight:900;font-display:fallback;}/*!sc*/ His splitter drops 32.1 inches -- nearly 20 inches more. fieldset{padding:0.35em 0.75em 0.625em;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani experimented with a new splitter grip during his last outing.See the difference between the new splitter and the old splitter grips.The new one. .epHHrr iframe{max-width:100%;}/*!sc*/ Twitter Web App 224 Retweets 50 Quote Tweets 1,654 Likes Rob Friedman @PitchingNinja Sep 20, 2021 Replying to @PitchingNinja For some color: For the year, he's averaged 5 inches. As a pitcher, he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of his start Sunday, finishing the game with 12 strikeouts tied for the most of any starter in a game so far this year. He had good command of it. At this point, Ohtani going for nine strikeouts in 7.2 innings and generally bewitching opposing hitters isnt much of a surprise, since hes paired masterful control with devastating velocity since he made his major-league debut. data-styled.g149[id="Styles__FigureCaption-iefwtj-1"]{content:"hpFxqr,"}/*!sc*/ His splitter sits a tick higher than the slider, in the 86-88 range, and dives down out of the zone late: Shohei Otani splitter/forkball grip, release and travel. .drUhS{pointer-events:none;width:100%;height:100%;display:inline-block;overflow:visible;fill:#000000;stroke:#000000;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu--icon span:nth-child(1){top:0px;}/*!sc*/ It didnt bother me, Fujinami said of the extra attention. @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__content{-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;}}/*!sc*/ It's been too long. He's routinely throwing splitters in the low 90s -- 11 of his 23 swinging strikes have been on splitters 90 mph or faster, as have 11 of his 18 K's. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__tagline img{max-width:100%;}/*!sc*/ He makes adjustments constantly, but the biggest difference from when I first saw him last year to now is overall command of all of his pitches.. Shohei Ohtani delights fans after sprinting out a home run for the Angels. pic.twitter.com/M8ABQ3gKOU. They've whiffed on 17 of those swings. Ohtani's splitter is generating the highest swing-and-miss rate of any individual pitch in MLB.\n\n**Highest whiff rate with a single pitch type, 2021**\n_Minimum 20 swings vs. that pitch type_\n1) Shohei Ohtani's splitter: 74%\n2) Josh Staumont's curveball: 73%\n3) (tie) Corbin Burnes' slider: 67%\n3) (tie) Corbin Burnes' changeup: 67%\n3) (tie) Corey Kluber's changeup: 67%","type":"markdown"},{"__typename":"PhotoPart","caption":null,"contextualCaption":null,"contextualAspectRatio":"1:1","credit":null,"format":"jpg","templateUrl":"https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/v1619554426/mlb/zphkde8jo3k6mm6ez4gb","type":"photo"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"Ohtani has ramped up his splitter velocity this season, and that's made it filthier than ever. The early results should certainly encourage Ohtani to keep throwing sinkers down the stretch. \n","providerName":"Twitter","providerUrl":"https://twitter.com","type":"rich","width":550},"type":"oembed"},{"__typename":"Markdown","content":"First, here's how Ohtani's sinker compares to his normal four-seamer.\n\n**4-seamer:** 97.2 mph / 2,220 rpm / 14.6\" of drop / 3.3\" of break \n**Sinker:** 97.6 mph / 1,994 rpm / 21.6\" of drop / 16.0\" of break\n\nIt's the difference you'd hope for. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight:hover .header__nav-top__nav-item__text{color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ He has given up 93 hits and held opponents to a .208 average. Los Angeles Angels (35) pic.twitter.com/QutPymX9VX, Shohei Ohtani, 101mph Fastball and 92mph Splitter, Overlay pic.twitter.com/E6wCdEakov. data-styled.g100[id="styles__SearchWidgetContainer-sc-1vorjk3-0"]{content:"fYCiRB,"}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight{background-color:#333333;}/*!sc*/ summary{display:list-item;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani was pitching and hitting second in the order. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__logo--mlb a{text-align:center;}/*!sc*/ In this video, however, the language is kept to a very simple minimum. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--inner::after{display:none;content:'';width:0;height:0;position:absolute;left:auto;right:-1px;top:33%;z-index:calc(99992 + 1);border-color:transparent #ffffff transparent transparent;border-style:solid;border-width:8px;}/*!sc*/ In 2018, Ohtani used his slider 24.8% of the time, which yielded whiffs on 39.1% of swings and a .243 wOBA against, so its surprising that Ohtani decided to add a cutter into his repertoire and take directly away from his slider usage. I kind of lost my command. body.side-nav-open{max-height:100vh;overflow:hidden;overscroll-behavior:none;touch-action:none;position:fixed;top:0;width:100vw;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani: Japan's Babe Ruth - CBS News .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__sponsor-logo a,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo a{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;}/*!sc*/ window.adobeAnalytics = {"reportingSuiteId":"mlbglobal08,mlbcom08","linkInternalFilters":"mlb"} .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos img{max-height:56px;max-width:none;}/*!sc*/ I love this shot, you can see Ohtani's grip on his devastating split finger pitch. .hedPca{color:#666666;font-size:0.833rem;font-weight:500;margin-bottom:24px;padding-top:8px;}/*!sc*/ It was a really good one, and I looked at [pitching coach Matt Wise] and said, Splitter? html{line-height:1.15;-webkit-text-size-adjust:100%;}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics | MLB.com Now that Ohtani is throwing both a four-seamer and a sinker, he can take advantage of two key pitch combos: four-seam/splitter and sinker/slider. Here's why we can't wait to watch the return of Ohtani the pitcher. . In case you were wondering, the one hitter to reach base against Ohtani's splitter is reigning American League MVP Jos Abreu, who drew a walk against it on a full-count splitter that Ohtani helicoptered way up and out of the strike zone. As a pitcher, Ohtani is a little tougher study. His four-seamer is a true four-seamer -- it comes straight at the hitter, with very little horizontal movement. Shohei Ohtani is a 23-year-old Japanese professional baseball player for the Los Angeles Angels for the American Major League. .jehbss{height:auto;width:100%;background-color:#F0F0F0;border-radius:8px;}/*!sc*/ Pedro on Ohtani's Splitter - MLB Tonight | Shohei Ohtani's splitter has been extremely effective through two starts, but Pedro Martinez has some long-term concerns. By Neil Paine Filed under MLB. The cutter was a fun experiment, but its not netting the results necessary to keep throwing it a significant percentage of the time. That early? Maddon said after a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Oakland Athletics in Angel Stadium. Senga Genesis - Razzball Fantasy Baseball .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__subnav{height:100%;overflow-x:hidden;overflow-y:auto;overscroll-behavior:contain;touch-action:manipulation;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch;}/*!sc*/ Second, consider Ohtani's two wipeout out pitches: his splitter and his slider. There are very clear cutter starts and non-cutter starts. Near Shohei Ohtani no-hitter almost completes ugly Athletics trifecta Ohtani racked up six whiffs on 11 swings on the splitter and four whiffs on eight swings on the slider. .mHQYb body.side-nav-open{position:fixed;overflow:hidden;overscroll-behavior:none;touch-action:none;}/*!sc*/ If we had to pick one part of his game to bank on most, though, there is reason to believe that Ohtanis pitching will outpace his hitting as his rookie year goes on. It is a purely _vertical_ splitter, which looks almost identical to his four-seam fastball until it doesn't.\n\nOhtani throws a true four-seamer. [1] The population density is 180.98 inhabitants per square kilometre (468.7/sq mi). He's got a good arm. It was a no-doubter, as it left the bat at 102.7 mph and . @font-face{font-family:'proxima-nova';src:url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff2') format('woff2'), url('https://www.mlbstatic.com/mlb.com/fonts/proxima-nova-bold-italic.woff') format('woff');font-weight:700;font-style:italic;}/*!sc*/ Hes based on feel. SHOHEI OHTANI SPLITTER GRIPS - YouTube .jDETbc{font-family:"proxima-nova","open Sans","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-size:40px;color:#222222;margin:0;}/*!sc*/ .hspSPq:hover svg path{fill:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Despite his splitter looking practically unhittable on the first two strikeouts, he said he would like to be able to throw it as a means of getting ahead in the count as well.\n\nBased on what Fujinami showed Tuesday, the As are optimistic about what a more refined version of the right-hander might look like as he continues to develop and adjust throughout Spring Training.\n\nShohei was on the other side -- who is one of the best players in the world, Emerson said. Millions of unique designs by independent artists. He makes adjustments constantly, but the biggest difference from when I first saw him last year to now is overall command of all of his pitches.. .hspSPq{height:32px;padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;font-size:13px;-webkit-transition:0.2s;transition:0.2s;border-radius:5px;font-weight:bold;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#057AFF;border:none;color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side{display:none;}}/*!sc*/ Regardez le Salaire Mensuel de Hoyla Tools Kindling Splitter en temps rel. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav{background-color:#081c3b;width:145px;-ms-overflow-style:none;}/*!sc*/ @media (min-width:768px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__leagues{min-width:600px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__divisions{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav--teams__divisions > *{-webkit-flex:1 0 200px;-ms-flex:1 0 200px;flex:1 0 200px;margin-left:0;}}/*!sc*/ Backs Aaron Judge for the 2022 AL MVP Award, Tinkering with Shohei Ohtanis Pitch Usage. .fvEQJr{bottom:0;left:0;position:absolute;right:0;top:0;}/*!sc*/ See Shohei Ohtani and his unfair splitters. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item{border-color:rgba(255,255,255,0.15);background-color:#041E42;}/*!sc*/ .eJdqRG p{margin-top:0;}/*!sc*/ @media (max-width:350px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item__link .icon__nav-item{display:none;}}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani has been known to speak through a translator at many press appearances. We May Not Be Appreciating Shohei Ohtani Enough - The Ringer We may earn a commission from links on this page. .mHQYb .p-search__list--multiple-type .p-search-item--team:first-of-type:before{content:'Teams';}/*!sc*/ Shohei Ohtani Finally Let Loose | Defector Shohei Ohtani did in 2022 what no other player in baseball history had done. Ohtanis split-finger fastball in particular might be the nastiest pitch in baseball so far this season. article ul,article ol{padding:0;margin:0 0 0 2.5rem;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__form{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;}/*!sc*/ A career-high 8 RBI last night and a career-high 13 Ks tonight. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true']{background-color:#057AFF;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-item--spotlight .header__nav-top__nav-item__text{color:#081c3b;}/*!sc*/ Image source: baseball-pitching-tips.com. I feel good physically, so I wanted to try more splitters.. + View Shohei Ohtani's Pitches in 3d + Similar Pitchers to Shohei Ohtani Based on Velocity and Movement: 2021 - Dinelson Lamet 2021 - Luis Gil @media (min-width:768px){body.article .ad-top-container{min-height:106px;}}/*!sc*/ Ohtani is 9-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 22 starts, with 146 strikeouts, 44 walks and a 1.11 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning). Ohtani was definitely feeling the splitter on Sunday. Shohei Ohtani's splitter is still MLB's most unhittable pitch As unreal as the hype was around Ohtani before he ever played an MLB game, somehow the beginning of his career has exceeded it. In January 2019, Ohtani visited a sick infant named Shohei Kawasaki to offer encouragement as the child's family faced a crisis -- struggling to raise funds for the 1-year-old boy's heart. Be the first one to comment on this story. It wasnt a perfect day for Ohtanis splitter, however, as Rays catcher Wilson Ramos actually managed to get his bat on one in the seventh inning.
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