Shohei Ohtani, known as the Japanese Babe Ruth, is the newest addition to the Los Angeles Angels. Despite not being the most popular team in the city, the Japanese shortstop is excited to be joining the Angels in the Major League Baseball. He is excited to be a part of the Angels’ goals this year, and hopes to pitch when he isn’t.
Angels owner Arte Moreno might not be eager to cross the luxury tax threshold for three players, but if they believe in Ohtani, they might have to sign him. That would mean the Angels paying out as much as $120 million or more to sign Ohtani. Although Ohtani could be signed separately by the Angels, they would need to create two roster spots for him and spend $40 million.
Shohei Ohtani preferred a team on the West Coast, and the Angels fit that criteria perfectly. Although the Angels are only 25 miles from Los Angeles Dodgers’, that didn’t seem important. While the Angels’ salary is more than enough to satisfy his needs, Balelo stressed that there was more to Ohtani’s decision than money. After all, he’ll be making $545,000 his rookie year.
Shohei Ohtani will be the Angels’ ace. They have one of the most talented outfields in baseball, and this new addition is the perfect fit. The Angels’ new teammate will be Mike Trout. Ohtani is expected join the Angels’ long tradition of signing Japanese players. He could be the first major two-way player in Major League Baseball since Babe Ruth, with his new teammates.
Shohei Ohtani was the first Japanese player to be selected to an All-Star team in 2018. He had an amazing season, hitting 46 home runs and stealing 100 bases. He also emerged as one of the league’s best starting pitchers, with a 3.18 earned run average and 156 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings in 23 starts. While many were surprised by his selection, he had already dreamed of winning the MVP award.
The Iwases own companies, so they can work from home this season, lining up their schedules with the Angels’ road games. They even buy cheap ballpark tickets using airline miles or cash to pay for them. They get to the stadium early for batting practice. They took a banner to the Seattle game. Ohtani, who turns 24 on July 5, has a lot of fans and is eager to play in the Major Leagues.
Another reason to sign Ohtani to the Angels is that he will have an immediate impact on the rotation. Richards is the Angels’ only true No. 1 starter, but has been plagued by injuries for the past two years. With Ohtani in the rotation, Richards’ workload will become much less stressful. He had a 2.52 ERA in Japan and walked 200 batters.