<figure id="attachment_437267" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-437267" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e33e7e7c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/08/e754c64c569ab90b1e309218ff18d2fb.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-437267" class="wp-caption-text">A shot of the No. 44 ball. The ball in the photo shows how low the trajectory of the ball was.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> A &#8220;divine trick&#8221; that stunned all of America.</h3>
<p> It took only four seconds for the ball to hit the ground.</p>
<p> On August 20, Shohei Ohtani (31) of the Dodgers hit No. 44, which stunned the entire nation.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The angle of the ball was only 19 degrees, and the velocity was a whopping 187 km/h. It was an &#8220;ultra-low-altitude home run. The average home run hit by an average player is usually hit from 26 to 30 degrees at 158 km/h or more, so Otani&#8217;s No. 44 was a &#8220;divine trick. When he hit it, everyone thought it was a two-base hit to right field, but it went straight over the fence.</span></p>
<p> It goes without saying that Ohtani&#8217;s overwhelming power is responsible for this impressive pitch, but sportswriter Nachi Tomonari says, &#8220;Another factor is the minor league change he has made since mid-August.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In order to hit low trajectory long balls, you need to catch the ball as if you are smashing it down the middle. To achieve this, Ohtani started to hold his bat shorter by one pinky finger around August 11 against the Blue Jays.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Toward the end of the season, fatigue accumulates and the swing of the bat becomes slower. He must have noticed the subtle changes in his body and adopted a policy of taking a compact approach so as not to lose swing speed.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In fact, Ohtani also practiced a shorter batting approach in the second half of last season, which greatly increased his batting average and on-base percentage. If he continues this compact swing, he should be able to hit 55 or more runs in a season.&#8221;</span></p>
<p> On August 25, he hit No. 45. The slugger, who continues to evolve in every detail, will continue to produce shocking bombs that will surprise fans.</p>
<p> From the September 12 and 19, 2025 combined issue of FRIDAY</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>


 AFLO

 On August 20, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers hit No. 44, which stunned the entire nation. It was an ultra-low-altitude home run with a pitch angle of only 19 degrees and a velocity of 187 km/h. This shocking hit had something to do with a minor league change that began in mid-August.

Over the fence at an angle of only 19°! Shohei Ohtani: The impact of the ″super low home run″ with a velocity of 187km/h!

Access Ranking