‘WBC championship → FA season’ Ohtani “I want to win the WS with the Angels”
Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani (29), who has experienced winning the World Baseball Classic (WBC), expressed his determination to win the World Series this year.
The LA Times, an American media, said on the 25th (Korean time), “Ohtani threw the ball against the Arizona Minor League Single A team at spring camp. It is a completely different environment from playing as a closer in the WBC final just a few days ago,” said Ohtani, who started preparing for the major league season after the WBC.
Ohtani, who started with the Japanese national team in the 2023 WBC, recorded a batting average of .435 (10 hits in 23 bats), 1 home run, 8 RBIs, 1.345 OPS in 7 games as a hitter, 2 wins, 1 save, and 1.86 ERA in 3 games (9⅔ innings) as a pitcher. and led Japan to victory. In the final against the United States, he pitched as a closer and struck out his teammate Mike Trout, the best hitter in the major leagues, to win the championship. Ohtani, who performed amazingly, was awarded MVP of the tournament.
When asked if the experience of winning the WBC fueled his desire to win the World Series, Ohtani said, “I think so. The intensity of short-term matches like the WBC or the postseason is special.” However, he continued, “I will not change my ways. If he hadn’t been to the WBC, his preparation for the season would have been the same as he is now. It’s a special experience to be able to feel that atmosphere before the season, but it doesn’t fundamentally change his mind about wanting to do his best in the season.”
Ohtani, who was active as the best star in Japanese professional baseball, experienced the victory in the 2016 Japan Series. But he never made it to the postseason in the major leagues. 메이저놀이터
Ohtani, who said, “It’s been a while since I played a short game,” said, “The atmosphere in the stadium seemed to say, ‘Now, this is baseball.’ To be honest, I’ve never been to the World Series, so I can’t even imagine what the atmosphere is like. However, the desire to go out in such a short game has grown.”
Ohtani will be eligible for free agency after the end of this season. If he doesn’t sign an extension with the Angels, this could be his last season with the Angels.
When asked if winning the WBC changed his mind about free agency, Ohtani said, “Not particularly”. “First, I want to go to the World Series with the Angels and win it. Winning the WBC made that thought stronger. that’s all i think I have one more week left, but I want to recover and start the season in the best condition possible.”