Los Angeles Angels pitcher, designated hitter and outfielder Shohei Ohtani had a unique start to the 2023 season.
The former American League MVP often blinds fans and even opposing teams when he’s standing on the pitching mound or at the plate with a bat in hand. The superstar had another trick up his sleeve, however, when he used a PitchCom device to call his own pitches on Thursday, rather than relying on the catcher.
Ohtani’s decision to use the device wasn’t directly influenced by the implementation of the new pitch clock, according to ESPN. The clock only gives a pitcher 15 seconds to begin his pitching motion.
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Los Angeles Angels #17 Shohei Ohtani takes the field before their opening game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on March 30, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The device was placed under Ohtani’s jersey near his shoulder during the game. Angels manager Phil Nevin believes the tool can help Ohtani work through his pitching repertoire faster.
“Shohei has so many pitches that he can throw. For him to go through them and shake and shake and shake, time is running out because sometimes the thing doesn’t say it fast enough,” Nevin said ahead of the season opener against the Oakland Athletics .
Ohtani isn’t the only member of the Angels’ pitching team to use the device. However, other pitchers, like Angels reliever Ryan Tepera, place the device on their non-throwing arm, which allows them to see the numbers as they tap.
Los Angeles Angels number 17 Shohei Ohtani warms up before the start of the game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on August 9, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Ohtani’s placement of the device forces him to memorize the keyboard.
Last week, Major League Baseball approved PitchCom for pitchers to use. Before approval, the catchers would have to enter the selected pitch. The pitcher would then hear the pitch selection by speaking in his hat.
“They push buttons, they make eye contact,” Nevin said in reference to Ohtani and catcher Logan O’Hoppe. “It’s obviously a slightly different dynamic than in the past, but whichever way they get there is fine with me.”
Shohei Ohtani, #17 of the Los Angeles Angels, plays in the bottom of the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at the RingCentral Coliseum on October 5, 2022 in Oakland, California. (Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images)
Ohtani had some trouble with his PitchCom device early in Thursday’s game, walking the first batter he faced in just four pitches. He decided not to use the device again for the rest of the opening inning, but he didn’t seem to have any more problems with it for the rest of the game.
“I think he would have been even more unbeatable if he had pitch com in the first inning,” O’Hoppe said. “We had to stick with the slider and cutter and couldn’t really do the splits. But I thought he was unbeatable the whole time.”
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Ohtani has been using PitchCom for the past season, and the decision seemed to directly impact his performance. Prior to using PitchCom, he had a 3.45 ERA through May.
However, after incorporating PitchCom, Ohtani had a 0.34 ERA on four starts. The two-time MLB All-Star finished the year with a 2.33 ERA, which was the fourth-best average in the AL.