Shohei Ohtani The perfected 100 mph technical pitcher! The key to his two-fisted revival is his new magic pitch, the “Power Sinker

His performance was nothing short of spectacular, and it foreshadowed his full recovery.

On June 23 (Japan time), Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers (30) took the mound for the second time this season and pitched one inning without allowing a hit or run.

In his last outing, he hit 100 mph (161 km/h), but due to an unfortunate hit, he gave up two hits and one run. However, in this outing, he was perfect and threw only 18 pitches. He is steadily regaining his senses. Furthermore, after coming off the mound, he hit a home run No. 26 to left-center field and drove in five runs. He was a complete opposite-field starter in a “tune-up” appearance before returning to the starting lineup. He is a scary guy.

Normally, pitchers who have recovered from injuries take live batting practice (BP) to get a feel for pitching, then pitch in the minors to make adjustments, and return to pitching when they are in perfect condition. In Major League Baseball, where the world’s highest level of competition is played out, this principle has been followed for a long time.

Keiichi Yabu, who experienced an injury in the U.S. and pitched in the minors, said, “The way he adjusted this time is unusual.

It is true that he has been hitting 100 mph, and his pitching is not bad. Still, his current condition is probably 40-60% of what it should be. There is a bigger difference between live BP and actual pitching than meets the eye. It should take some time to correct that subtle sensory discrepancy.

For Otani, who has had two scalpels on his elbows, this is his last chance. The sweeper, his biggest weapon, is a ball that puts a lot of stress on his elbow, so if he throws it too many times, the risk of a recurrence of the injury will increase. It is essential to broaden the range of my pitches.

To address this, Ohtani introduced a new magic pitch called the “power sinker. The grip and throwing style are similar to the two-seam, which is less stressful on the elbow, but the trajectory of the pitch sinks sharply into the right-hander’s knee. This is a big change from the two-seam pitches he has thrown in the past, which were more of a sideways pitch that gouged the inside corner of the plate. Furthermore, in his second appearance on the mound, he struck out a left-handed batter with a vertical slider that sank sharply into the batter’s knee, rather than a “sideways” sweeper.

In order to reduce the burden on his elbow, Ohtani has changed his pitching form this season to a style in which he slams his pitches down from above. This makes it easier for him to use the vertical change of the ball more effectively than the horizontal change. However, since an uppercut swing is the norm in today’s Major League Baseball, a sinking ball is more likely to fit the trajectory of the bat.

Therefore, it is necessary to effectively use the horizontal change sweeper, which is the family’s most popular weapon, at the most opportune moment. While taking advantage of his strong straight ball, he also uses the vertical and horizontal variations to disguise the batter. Ohtani has the potential to become a “100-mile-per-hour pitcher.

From the July 11, 2025 issue of FRIDAY