Angels News: Shohei Ohtani’s Preparation Continues to Amaze His Manager
To become one of the greatest players in the game today, you have to have a special level of preparation. Mix that together with a little bit of gifted skill, and you end up with a guy like two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
The success of Ohtani didn't just happen overnight — it's a product of the hard work he puts in each day. Among those who get to see Ohtani work every day is Angels manager Phil Nevin. Nevin has the luxury of watching Ohtani from up close, and continues to be amazed by the work he puts in when he's not dominating an opposing team.
"You watch Shohei work, everything he does is with a purpose. Whether he’s in the training room, whether he’s in the cage, whether he’s in the bullpen," Nevin said. “Every repetition he does, pitching or hitting, everything is with a purpose. And it’s pretty amazing to watch."
You know you're doing something right when every manager has the highest praise for you. Former Angels manager Joe Maddon couldn't say enough good things about Ohtani, nor could his manager from the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Hideki Kuriyama.
With the quality of work Ohtani has continued to display, he was named the unanimous MVP in 2021 and made his second consecutive All-Star game in 2022. He's also a finalist for the 2022 AL MVP Award. During the last two years, Ohtani has launched 80 home runs and 195 RBIs on a .265 batting average.
Oh, and he's also a pretty good pitcher, sporting a 2.76 ERA, 375 strikeouts and a 24-11 record during that same span. And he only wants to be better in 2023.
