Whether it was his play on the mound or his batting, Shohei Ohtani was definitely the MVP of the World Baseball Classic, as evidenced by his .435 batting average and ERA of 1.86.
But Shohei Ohtani is more than his performance on the pitch. We could see his class, his intensity on the pitch and his impact on his teammates.
Moreover, before the final of the tournament won by his team against the Americans, the Japanese star player spoke to his team to remind them that they were in no way inferior to the United States.
Stop admiring them. If you admire them, you cannot surpass them. We came here to surpass them, to reach the top. For one day, let’s put our admiration for them aside and just think about winning.
Very inspiring thank you.
It’s unclear if Ohtani can have the same kind of impact in the Los Angeles Angels locker room, but after five years in the red uniform and a World Classic championship, let’s hope he can bring his leadership in the Angels locker room, a locker room that badly needs it.
It remains to be seen if he, and his sidekick whom he faced for the first time in his career last night, Mike Trout, will finally be able to get the California team through to the playoffs.
- Byron Buxton will act as the hitter of choice at the start of the season.
- The commissioner wants the best pitchers to be present at the next World Classic.
- Anthony Volpe would be comparable to Dustin Pedroia.
