Dodgers Coach Calls Shohei Ohtani 'Best Athlete and Baseball Player in the World'
Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel has a unique history with Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani, by all accounts, has been wowing everybody during Spring Training in Arizona. The famed two-way player has taken 76 at-bats during batting practice, and 33 of them reportedly resulted in home runs.
This isn't a total surprise to Ebel. When Ohtani first came to the Angels, Ebel was the team's third base coach. He got to see Ohtani up close and personal for years before both ended up in Los Angeles.
When speaking to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Ebel made a very strong statement on Ohtani:
"When he walks into a room, there’s a presence. He has a mission. He knows what his routine is. Everybody watches to see what he does. When you see that, I’m happy for him. Because when I first saw him to where he is today, and what he’s accomplished, for me he’s the best athlete and best baseball player in the world."
— Dino Ebel on Shohei Ohtani
Ebel also remarked on how much stronger Ohtani has gotten from when he first broke into the big leagues in 2018.
We won't know for another month whether Ohtani is available for the season-opening Seoul Series in South Korea against the San Diego Padres. For now, all signs point to Ohtani being available for the games.
As you can see in the video above, Ohtani is launching the ball seemingly at half-speed. The positioning of his bat looks slightly different than we're accustomed to seeing. It'll be fascinating to see whether that's due to his rehabilitation process, or if that's an actual change he's made in the offseason.
With the Dodgers already showcasing Ohtani behind the scenes via social media at a much higher clip compared to the Angels, fans of the ballclub and those all around the world are getting greater insight into the best player in the sport.
