Diamondbacks marvel at Angels' Shohei Ohtani and his dual pitching and hitting success

Jun 22, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA;  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out Kansas City Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier (17) to end the seventh inning of the game at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out Kansas City Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier (17) to end the seventh inning of the game at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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The Diamondbacks are baseball fans as much as they are players, and what Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is doing on big-league diamonds is as impressive to them as it is to ordinary fans of the game.

Ohtani, already a top player in MLB, has had a big week. On June 21, the 27-year-old pitcher and designated hitter from Japan, now in his fourth season, hit two home runs and drove in eight runs on three hits in an 11-inning win over Kansas City. The next day, he took the mound and shut out the Royals on two hits over eight innings, with 13 strikeouts.

Ohtani has won his last three starts and is 6-4 with a 2.90 earned run average this season. He's also batting .260 with 15 home runs and 45 runs batted in and a .822 OPS prior to Friday night's action.

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"The guy that's most impressive right now is definitely Shohei, I was just talking about him," Diamondbacks infielder Josh Rojas said before Arizona hosted the Detroit Tigers Friday at Chase Field. "It's unbelievable. He goes out, hits two homers, six RBIs. The next day he has 12 Ks. He's just on a different level right now."

Rojas said Ohtani is an MVP-type player as a pitcher and hitter, which may not be seen again in the majors for a long time.

'You have a guy like that who's dominating from both sides, you know, pitching and hitting. I Think it's only good for the game. I mean, he's a true superstar," Rojas said.

Diamondbacks relief pitcher Noé Ramirez was a teammate of Ohtani's with the Angels earlier in their careers. He said he saw flashes of Ohtani's potential when they were on the same team. In 2021, Ohtani was named American League Most Valuable Player, unanimously voted as the award winner.

"I just knew once he was healthy, you know 100 percent, he was going to be able to do special things like this. But I mean, it's just the way he works," Ramirez said. "It's pretty obvious that you know he's going to be successful. He's got natural abilities that not many other people have... I was expecting a crazy show, for sure."

Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning as Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) watches at Angel Stadium.
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning as Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) watches at Angel Stadium.

Rojas and Ramirez, pitcher Zach Davies and first baseman Christian Walker enjoy watching other players, too. They're typically people they came up with in the minor leagues or played with in the majors.

Rojas keeps an eye on former Houston Astros organization mates Chas McCormick, Abraham Toro (Seattle) and Myles Straw (Cleveland). Ramirez is fan of former Angels teammate and current Los Angeles Dodger Andrew Heaney, who was placed on the injured list on Friday, and has respect for Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez, whom he faced regularly in the American League West.  Davies has never minded being compared to former Chicago Cubs teammate Kyle Hendricks.

Davies said the way Ohtani came to the North American major leagues and burst on the scene right away is what stands out.

"Hopefully he stays healthy and can do this for a long time. And for me, as a fan of baseball, I like to watch it. It's something that you don't see in really any lifetime," Davies said. "So it's nice to be witness to it."

Walker said he watches the big names in the sport, but saves his fandom for teammates like David Peralta, Ketel Marte and Zac Gallen for their approaches and work they do.

As far Ohtani, Walker is also a curious observer.

"I think it blows everybody's mind. I think he's the first of this type of player. Never seen anything up until this point, we may never see anything again like this," Walker said. "Yeah, I admire it for sure. I admire it just from a distance."

Short hops

*Infielder Buddy Kennedy is day-to-day, according to Lovullo. He irritated the carpal bones in his wrist on Tuesday and was removed from the game, but avoided any fractures. Kennedy told MLB.com pre-game that expects to be back in the lineup Saturday.

*Second baseman Ketel Marte is serving as the designated hitter Friday. He hasn’t played the field since suffering a mild hamstring strain on June 15.

*Left fielder David Peralta is back in the lineup Friday after missing the entire Padres series with discomfort in his back.

*Relievers J.B. Bukauskas and Chris Devenski will both pitch in the Arizona Complex League on Saturday as they ramp up from injuries that have sidelined them all season.

Theo Mackie contributed to this report.

Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks marvel at Angels' Shohei Ohtani and his dual pitching and hitting success