By the Numbers: Shohei Ohtani

May/June 2022

by Alexis Gunderson & Allan Molho

Baseball is a game of numbers. Still, Japanese pitcher Shohei “Showtime” Ohtani stands out. A two-way player as famous for his pitching as he is for his at bats, the 6-foot-4, 27-year-old Los Angeles Angels star boasts a remarkable stats sheet. Average fastball speed? 95.6 miles per hour. Average home runs per season? 23. Average home run distance? More than 400 feet! Just four years into his MLB career, Ohtani was unanimously voted the 2021 MVP of the American League. Beyond his stats, though, Ohtani is fun to watch! From stealing home to catching comebackers bare-handed, when Ohtani’s on the field, it’s always showtime.

Read on to learn more about Shohei Ohtani. Then plug in the numbers to solve the equation below and reveal a final fact.

100

Kyodo News Stills via Getty Images

Top speed, in miles per hour, Ohtani pitched during a high school tournament in 2012

93

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

Major league career home runs—so far! (For seasons 2018-2021.)

17

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Ohtani’s Los Angeles Angels jersey number

2

Guinness World Records Ohtani has. The first is for pitching more than 100 innings and 100 strikeouts and having 100 RBIs, hits, and runs as a batter, in a season. The second is for being the first to start the MLB All-Star Game as both a pitcher and a designated hitter.