Shohei Ohtani’s June Surge with 12 Home Runs and Peak Form Thanks to Steady Right Shoulder and Firm Jaw
He is now hitting home runs at a pace of 50 per year! The Triple Crown is about to become a reality. The engine is running at full throttle to win the Triple Crown and become the world's No. 1 baseball player!
It was a month where the true ability of the “June Man” was demonstrated.
Shohei Ohtani (29) continued his hitting spree in June this year, leaving behind impressive stats of a .293 monthly batting average, 12 home runs, 24 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.110.
“Shohei tends to peak in June each year. Last year, he became the first Japanese player to win the AL home run title, hitting 15 home runs in that month alone. However, he struggled with injuries as a pitcher and fatigue from being a two-way player, which caused him to falter in the second half of the season. This season, he’s focusing solely on batting, and he himself has said, ‘My physical condition is also good,’ suggesting that this strong performance could last longer than last year. I’m looking forward to seeing him hit consistently until the end of the season,” said a Dodgers beat writer from a local Los Angeles newspaper.
As of the end of June, Shohei Ohtani is among the top 5 in all major MLB categories: batting average (.316), RBIs (62), home runs (26), hits (102), and OPS (1.034). This places him in a realm that even Aaron Judge (32) of the Yankees, who leads MLB with 31 home runs and is on pace for 58 for the year, has not reached. Ohtani stands alone in this achievement. Pro baseball commentator Takahiro Toketsu attributes his excellent form to the position of his jaw.
“In April and May, when Ohtani’s home run count wasn’t increasing, he struggled with identifying breaking balls. His aggressiveness from the first pitch is appealing, but he often swung forcefully at pitches outside the strike zone, resulting in routine outs. However, currently, Ohtani is selectively choosing pitches he excels at.
When discussing a stance with a pulled-back jaw, one recalls Yankees legend Hideki Matsui (50). Certainly, the position of the jaw might be a hallmark of a slugger. However, if the crucial swing wavers, all efforts may be in vain. Yet, Shohei Ohtani currently achieves a flawless swing thanks to his steady right shoulder.
“Compared to the early season, groundouts have clearly decreased. This indicates fewer instances where the body opens up and hooks the ball. The key lies in the position of the right shoulder. If the right shoulder quickly turns towards first base, the bat head returns before capturing the ball, making it difficult to connect for extra bases. In June, Ohtani kept his right shoulder closed throughout his swing, hitting long balls widely. His swing trajectory is as beautiful as Ichiro Suzuki (50) in his prime,” noted Takahiro.
With a stance like Matsui’s and a swing akin to Ichiro’s, Ohtani aims to achieve something unprecedented in MLB history: a batting triple crown, last accomplished 12 years ago.
From the July 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO： AFLO
