We already get so much Shohei Ohtani.
The Los Angeles Angels slugger/pitcher — it never gets old writing that — appeared in 155 games in 2021. He pitched in 23 of those contests.
But … we need more Shohei Ohtani.
And thank to Major League Baseball, we’re getting more!
Despite the fact that we’re getting the “ghost runner” rule back in extra innings, there’s a new rule that means Ohtani won’t have to come out of games as a hitter when he’s pitching.
The old rule said that if he leaves the game as a pitcher, he would have to be replaced in the lineup.
Not anymore! From USA TODAY Sports:
MLB also included a new “Shohei Ohtani Rule’’ in their new protocols with the universal DH, according to the New York Post. If the starting pitcher is also hitting in the lineup, like Ohtani does, he can remain in the game as the DH even if he’s pulled out of the game as a starting pitcher. Angels manager Joe Maddon thought it was unfair if they were the only team in baseball playing by the old National League rules.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that following the new CBA agreement they had to implement a new rule SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE LEGEND SHOHEI OHTANI 😂
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) March 23, 2022
YES. Because now we get even more opportunities to see Ohtani send moonshots over the wall. And in an era where we might get more two-way players, that’s huge.
Here are some spring highlights of him pitching, which is also a thrill:
Shohei Ohtani strikes out the first batter he faces in 2022! pic.twitter.com/iocQmvcXyE
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 21, 2022
Shohei Ohtani: 7 outs today, 5 by strikeout 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/X3xZEY5rIk
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) March 21, 2022
