Once in a Lifetime Struggles

04/15/2022

By: Matthew Cahill

Shohei Ohtani Allows Grand Slam, Rangers Defeat the Angels (10-5)

After unanimously winning the American League MVP award last season for simultaneously being one of the best power hitters and starting pitchers in baseball, Shohei Ohtani is off to quite the rocky start in 2022. During his second pitching appearance of the season last night, Jonah Heim took Ohtani yard for the MLB’s first grand slam of the year in the second inning. He was eventually pulled after 3 ⅔ innings, letting up six earned runs. On top of getting lit up on the mound, Shohei had another lackluster day behind the plate, batting just 1-4. Through seven games, he has zero home runs, zero RBIs, a batting average of .172, and an ERA of 7.56. Ohtani is a once in a lifetime player with the ability to impact the game in a way we haven’t seen since Babe Ruth. But that also means struggles like these are going to result in historic slumps that only he is capable of.

 

Additional Storylines

SI: Jonah Heim’s Grand Slam off Ohtani is Historic in Multiple Ways 

Yahoo!: Shohei Ohtani Performs CPR on his bat in Angels’ Dugout Amid Struggles

 

Photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images