Shohei Ohtani: Two challenges stand in the way of winning the Triple Crown

Another test is “weakness.

His four-seam batting average, which was .394 last season, has dropped to .301, and his cutter batting average, which was also .381, has dropped to .267.

Nachi Tomonari, who has been covering the majors for 30 years, explains.

On July 19 against the Red Sox, he struck out three against Nick Pivutta.

Fujimoto’s analysis is that “he has improved his batting average by 6 to 15 percent by using sinkers, splits, and other pitches that fall low, but when he is attacked with a high fastball, he loses his eye contact. This data is already known by all baseball teams. Tomonari points out, “From around June, they have been playing a more aggressive game with high fastballs.

Last year and the year before, pitchers in the Majors used a high and low pitching attack. However, until last season, Ohtani was strong on high four-seamers, so his game pitch was a low breaking ball. Now he has switched to a fishing pitch in the high ball zone.”

It is not only opposing pitchers who stand in the way of winning the Triple Crown. The Braves’ Marcell Ozuna (33), who leads Otani by seven runs with 83 runs batted in, is second in home runs, also one run behind. He is seen as the biggest threat.

He’s the third-best hitter in the lineup, which makes it easier for Ozuna to score runs, whereas Ohtani is the top hitter,” said O’Neill. He has explosive power, so it’s scary when he makes waves. In the batting average category, Christian Yelich (32) of the Brewers and Luis Araez (27) of the Padres, who have each won the top spot twice in the past, will be his rivals,” said Tomonari.

The barriers to overcome seem high, but there is data to encourage fans, according to Tomonari.

The wall may be high, but there is some data to encourage fans, he said. He’s hitting .407, .472, and .361, in that order,” he said. If he gets a little lax, …… and pitchers will get more power and more lost pitches. Players who can hit an in-high four-seamer are rare in the majors. Let’s just keep going. If there’s any concern, it’s the commitment to stealing bases; 40-40 is great, but it’s an injury risk.”

The dream of the first Japanese player to win the Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) in 2012 is within reach.

From the August 16, 2024 issue of FRIDAY