Angels News: Shohei Ohtani to See Increased Workload Next Season
The Angels have utilized a six-man rotation with Shohei Ohtani on board to limit his innings as best as possible. While that won't change in 2023, the way they use Ohtani will.
Instead of having a clear six-man rotation, the Angels will, instead, have Ohtani pitch every sixth day. That means, if there was a day off in the middle, they will skip the sixth man in the rotation, and have Ohtani get right back on the mound on normal rest. Here's what his manager had to say about the decision.
"I don’t want him to have those extra days unless we feel like he needs it," his manager Phil Nevin said at the Winter Meetings. "There’s some things that pop up throughout the year. If he needs an extra day due to a day off or whatever. But if there’s a day off, I’m going to skip somebody to get Shohei all his innings."
Nevin made his reasoning for the decision pretty clear.
"The fact is, it’s Shohei Ohtani, and I want him out there every time he’s able to pitch."
It's hard to blame Nevin for feeling this way. Last year, Ohtani was among the best pitchers in all of baseball. He was snubbed as a Cy Young finalist, finishing fourth for the award. But the MLB made up for it by naming him a member of the All-MLB First Team as a pitcher.
He was among the league leaders in wins (15), ERA (2.33), strikeouts (219), WHIP (1.01) and led the American League with a K/9 of 11.9. He took a huge leap on the mound last season.
The Angels want to make sure Ohtani makes as many starts as possible in 2023, as that will give them the best chance to win.
