Shohei Ohtani, the two-fisted pitcher again! New Pitching Form” is “Stiff Arm” and “Technique

Otani Fever” is more than last year

When the star’s “solo live performance” ended, the ballpark in Glendale, Arizona, was filled with thunderous applause.

On February 24 (Japan time), Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers (30) took part in his first live batting practice of the season, known as “Live BP.

On this day, Ohtani left the clubhouse in a cart and headed not to his usual practice field, but to a field called “Field 5,” which is used by minor leaguers. Normally, live BP is usually conducted with two pitchers and about eight batters, but this time Otani was alone. This was an unusual VIP treatment, and it is a sign of the leaders’ expectation and trust in Otani. In front of 300 people, including manager Dave Roberts (52), the press, and fans, Otani stood for five at-bats and gave up two hits. He broke his bat on his first swing and laughed. He seemed to be adjusting well,” said a reporter from a major media outlet covering the event.

(A major media reporter covering the game there.) Ohtani has already hit a series of great sounds in February, including an extra-large 140-meter shot in a free-hit game. He has already hit a 140-meter high extra-base hit in a free-hit game, and as of February, he has been making a lot of great sounds.

The “Ohtani fever” at camp is even greater than last year, and every time Ohtani moves to a new location, there are 100s of people waiting in line to see him. In addition, the Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto (26) and Akinori Sasaki (23), so the Japanese press in the area are busy and dizzy.

(Laughs.) With the hitting going so well, the question is how the pitchers, who will be returning this season, will fare. He has already shown that his strong arm is still going strong in the bullpen, with a maximum speed of 153 km/h. But for Otani, who has been away from the game for more than a year, the days of trial and error are still numbered.

One thing in particular that has attracted attention is the change in his pitching form. In the past, Ohtani threw his fastball over 160 km/h from the set position, where his release point was more stable, but this season he is trying a “no-windup” approach, in which he takes a step back with his left foot before starting to pitch.

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior, 44, said of the change in form, “It was Shohei’s suggestion, not mine. This change will not directly reduce the burden on the body, but we hope that the improved sense of rhythm and timing will result in a reduction in the burden.

Changes in Ohtani’s Pitching Style

What does it mean that the no-windup pitching style creates a sense of rhythm and timing? Former major leaguer Keiichi Yabu explains.

In the majors, there is a rule that the pitching motion must begin within 15 seconds with no runners on base and within 18 seconds with a runner on base. In the set position, the ball must be thrown immediately after the left foot is raised, but in the no-win situation, the pitching motion is considered to have started when the left foot is pulled back, giving a slight margin of time. This difference in rhythm and timing of release lightens the load on the shoulders and elbows over the course of a season.

In addition, because the pitcher takes a step back before throwing, he can easily gain momentum by shifting his weight, allowing him to throw his fastball with less power than in the set position.

Yamamoto, who is a smaller pitcher than his teammate in the Majors, can throw a straight fastball over 155 km/h thanks to his no-windup pitching style.

There are other hints of Ohtani’s change in pitching style as well: In his third bullpen session on February 23, Ohtani carefully tested his two-seam and cut ball.

The sweeper and the split, which are Ohtani’s weapons and the source of his high strikeout rate, have a large amount of variation, but they put a lot of stress on his elbows and can easily lead to injuries. However, the two-seam and cut ball are pitches that have a trajectory similar to a straight ball but have a small bend in the hand, so it is easy to aim for a ground ball out. There is the “stiff-arm” form, which takes time to drive the ball and get strikeouts with big changes, and the “skillful” form, which uses fine changes like Hiroki Kuroda (50) in his prime and wins with a small number of pitches to produce a lot of ground balls. If he can use both of these forms, he can aim for 10 wins even if he returns to pitching in May or later.

Otani has been training at camp with a fitter body than last year in preparation for his return to pitching. He himself commented, “I want to constantly seek changes within myself. At last, the two-fisted pitcher of the world will return. The evolved Ohtani will dominate the majors this season in both pitching and hitting.

From the March 14-21, 2025 issue of FRIDAY