Shohei Ohtani: “Shin Pitching Form is ″Energy Saving! Shohei Otani: “Shin pitching form is “energy-saving

Evolution of Pitching” Seen in Return to Pitching

Shohei Ohtani, 30, of the Dodgers told the press after the Nationals game on June 23 (Japan Standard Time) that he is feeling good about his pitching.

Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers (30) told the media after the Nationals game on June 23 (Japan time) that he felt good about his pitching.

Ohtani, who started the game, threw 18 pitches in one inning, allowing no hits, striking out two, and allowing no runs. He suddenly hit 161 km/h, which was a better result than his performance against the Padres on June 17 (1 inning, 28 pitches, 2 hits, 0 strikeouts, 1 run) in his return to pitching after 663 days away from the mound.

Professor Takashi Kawamura of the University of Tsukuba’s College of Physical Education, an expert in motion analysis, said, “If there is a blank period due to injury or other reasons, it is a good thing for a pitcher to be back in the lineup.

When there is a blank period of time due to injury or other reasons, it is common for a player to gain experience in open games and minor league games before returning to full training. But Ohtani was pitching in a game, even though he had been practicing in a real game format. I am amazed that he can pitch this well.

Comparing his time with the Angels before his right elbow surgery to the present, we can see the “evolution of his pitching. Let’s listen to Kawamura’s commentary while looking at a series of form photos.

Shin’s pitching form for the Dodgers

Old form during the Angels’ era

Comparing the pictures in ①, the upper row has a higher glove position. The lower row has a sense of dynamism throughout the body, while the upper row looks calm. You can see that he is now focusing on form stability rather than momentum.”

In (2), I would like to focus on the position of the shoulders.

The line connecting the two shoulders is almost level with the ground in the bottom row, but in the top row, the left shoulder is elevated. By creating a ‘tilt’ in the position of both shoulders, the arms can be swung up easily. The right arm is probably being raised to a higher position using the seesaw principle.

In (3) and (4), the movements are more symmetrical.

In ⑤, the upper body is twisted sideways in a big way. In his days with the Angels, he used a lot of sideways bending balls such as sweepers, so this is a reasonable way to throw. Above, he moves his arm vertically without twisting his body too much. This is a form that corresponds to a pitch that changes vertically, such as a split, rather than a horizontal ball that puts a burden on the elbow. The release point is also higher in order to angle the ball and create a drop-off. The slider will also change vertically.

In the finish of (5), the lower part of the arm moves horizontally toward first base, but in the upper part, the arm swings down vertically, giving a more compact impression.

The finish also reflects the horizontal and vertical movements of the slider. During his time with the Angels, he was a power pitcher who relied on his strength, but now he uses an “energy-saving” pitching style that requires little power output to achieve high performance. The risk of injury is also reduced. If he can pitch longer innings, I think he can win 10 to 15 games a year.

In the game against the Nationals, Ohtani also played an active role as a hitter, hitting one home run and driving in five runs. The day is near when he will be able to fully revive his “two-faced” style with his thin pitching form.

From the July 11, 2025 issue of FRIDAY