For the first time in exactly one year, Shohei Ohtani took the field for a regular season game at Angel Stadium on Tuesday. In a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform.
The reception when Ohtani walked to the batter’s box captured many facets of his departure and return from the franchise where he spent the first six seasons of his MLB career. There were mostly cheers, reflecting his MVP-level success (and probably more than a few Dodgers fans in attendance). There were some boos, reflecting that not everyone was happy to see him sign a $700 million contract with a crosstown rival.
Forks There just wasn’t a full crowdreflecting how much the franchise lost when he left.
The Angels didn’t treat Ohtani’s return with much reverence. Sam Blum of Athletic reported that as of Monday there were no plans to honor Ohtani before the game, and that for the most part it went ahead.
The team had a chart showing their accomplishments (Rookie of the Year, two MVPs, two Silver Sluggers), but I just played a video on social mediaIt is probably worth noting that They put a video when Ohtani visited him at a spring training game.
Shohei Ohtani will always be part of Angels history
This is Ohtani’s first game at Angel Stadium in a road uniform and coincides with the anniversary of his final game in an Angels uniform. Ohtani played his first six MLB seasons in Anaheim, exceeding the enormous expectations with which he arrived as a high-profile prospect from his native Japan.
Hailed as the Japanese Babe Ruth, Ohtani signed with the Angels in 2017 at age 23 and quickly fulfilled his promise as a generational two-way player. Ohtani earned American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 while thriving at the plate and in limited appearances on the mound.
In his first MLB season, Ohtani hit .285/.361/.564 with 22 home runs, 61 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. He posted a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings pitched over 10 starts. The campaign set the stage for high expectations in Anaheim with Ohtani paired with Mike Trout, who won his third MVP award a season later.
Tommy John surgery limited him on the mound after his rookie season, but he continued to develop at the plate as one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. When he returned to the mound full-time in 2021, his combined efforts as a hitter and pitcher earned Ohtani his first MVP trophy.
He finished in the top four in Cy Young and MVP voting in 2022, then returned to the Angels on a one-year, $30 million deal that avoided arbitration. He won the MVP again in 2023 in a season that turned out to be his last with the Angels.
While Ohtani’s performance exceeded expectations, the Angels were unable to translate his talent into success for the team. The Angels never made the postseason in Ohtani’s six seasons with the franchise, and he left the team last offseason in what was arguably the most anticipated free agency in MLB history. He joined the Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract but reportedly gave the Angels a chance to match the deal.
In his six seasons with the Angels, Ohtani hit .274/.366/.556 with 171 homers, 437 RBIs and 86 stolen bases. In 481 2/3 innings pitched, he posted a 3.01 ERA and 1.082 WHIP with 608 strikeouts and 173 walks.
Elbow surgery has kept Ohtani off the mound again in 2024, but he is the heavy favorite for NL MVP thanks to a historic season at the plate. Ohtani entered Tuesday batting .292/.377/.616 with 44 homers, 98 RBIs and 46 stolen bases with his sights set on a record-breaking 50-homer, 50-stolen-base season.