Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani throws hardest pitch of his career vs. Royals
Unicorn. Shotime. Nito-Ryu. No matter what you call him, Shohei Ohtani is one of the most uniquely gifted athletes in MLB, nay, the world, with a collection of tools the likes of which few could even imagine.
Advertisement
As a hitter, Ohtani is among the best bombers in the business, with 29 home runs and counting in his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While Ohtani aims for power more often than not, he's also one of the Dodgers' top extra-base hitters, and in 2024, he joined the 40/40 club, becoming one of the rare players who steal as many bases as they destroy dingers.
And now, as a pitcher, Ohtani is reminding fans in Los Angeles and beyond just how special he is on the mound, too, with the MVP throwing his third game of the season against the Kansas City Royals in impressive fashion.
Before the game, skipper Dave Roberts noted that the Dodgers would try to get Ohtani past the first inning for the first time this year, assuming things went well for the two-way star. While Ohtani did have some struggles early on, getting two of his first three batters on base – including his first walk of the season – 'Shotime' launched the fastest heater of his career, with Vinnie Pasquantino hitting the 101.7 mph fastball into a double-play.
Ohtani then pitched the second inning without as much excitement, with the No. 17 retiring the side in order on 13 pitches with Salvador Perez lining out to center, Jac Caglianone striking out, and Nick Loftin fouling out to Dalton Rushing.
Advertisement
Will Shohei Ohtani eventually give the Dodgers a 'full game,' making it into, or even past, the fifth inning on a regular basis? Potentially so, but for now, he's once again proving why he's one of the most exciting players in MLB, as even in limited action, Ohtani can still do things with a baseball – both throwing and hitting it – that few others could even dream of.
Related: Dodgers' Dave Roberts provides important Tyler Glasnow update
Related: Dodgers' encouraging Roki Sasaki injury update comes with a catch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The rare opportunity Cooper Flagg has that makes him feel ‘blessed'
Cooper Flagg is in a rare, but fortunate situation. Most first overall draft picks are tasked with instantly becoming the No. 1 option of a team coming off all-time-low types of seasons – but Flagg won't necessarily have that burden as he joins a Dallas Mavericks team alongside likely future Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Advertisement 'A lot of people in this position or this situation aren't granted this opportunity, so I just feel really blessed and grateful for the situation I've been given,' Flagg said Friday during his Mavericks introductory press conference. 'I'm just looking forward to being a sponge. Just getting down here, I'm excited to just learn, soak it all in and learn from the guys that are older and have been through it all before.' Cooper Flagg at his introductory press conference alongside Mavericks GM Nico Harrison (left) and head coach Jason Kidd (right). NBAE via Getty Images Dallas is fresh off a 2024 NBA Finals appearance led by now-Laker Luka Doncic, but the Mavericks found themselves in the draft lottery following season-derailing injuries to Davis and Irving following the blockbuster Doncic trade. With just a 1.8 percent chance at landing the No. 1 pick in the draft, the unthinkable became reality as the Mavericks captured Flagg. Kyrie Irving is recovering from a torn ACL but will likely be in the mix for the Mavericks at the end of next season. AP Despite missing the playoffs, the foundation remains for the team to be contenders with a roster that, aside from Doncic, remained mostly intact after the 2024 finals run. Advertisement While Irving likely won't return from his ACL injury until the back half of the season, Davis and another future Hall of Famer, Klay Thompson, who was added last offseason, should provide plenty of stability for Flagg to find his NBA footing while not needing to instantly take on a colossal workload. 'Those guys have so much knowledge,' Flagg said of his new veteran teammates. 'They've been through so much, and they have so much experience that it's just going to be an incredible opportunity for me to learn and grow under them.' Anthony Davis was acquired by the Mavericks in the Luka Doncic trade but dealt with injuries upon his arrival. Getty Images While he may not be the No. 1 option right away, Flagg will seemingly take the torch of the franchise that was passed first from Dirk Nowitzki to Doncic. Advertisement 'I'm coming in just trying to learn and trying to get better every single day,' Flagg said. 'If I can do that to the best of my ability, I think expectations and pressures that other people will put on me and our team, that will kind of work itself out. 'So I'm just trying to come in and be the best that I can be and just win at the highest level.'
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mavericks' Jason Kidd details ‘uncomfortable' summer league plans for Cooper Flagg
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is already plotting ways to challenge Cooper Flagg. Kidd knows what kind of skillset the No. 1 pick brings to the table, but he emphasized on Friday that the upcoming NBA Summer League will be a chance for Flagg to expand his game in a role that's atypical for him. Advertisement 'I don't look at the position,' Kidd said. 'I want to put him at point guard. I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts, being able to run the show.' The 6-foot-8 forward has just about everything in his bag of tricks as a player, but running as the primary point guard would certainly be creative for the former Duke star. While it's an experiment that likely wouldn't carry over too much into the regular season, especially with Kyrie Irving eventually returning from his ACL injury, Kidd is excited to see how his rookie would respond. 'We want to push,' Kidd continued. 'And I think he's going to respond in a positive way. It's all right to fail. It's all right to turn the ball over. We've talked about that.' Advertisement Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban is on the same page with Kidd, too. Cooper Flagg and Jason Kidd spoke to media at Flagg's introductory press conference Friday. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Cooper Flagg smiles during his introductory press conference. AP 'I'm sending a text to J-Kidd, I'm like, 'point guard, point guard, point guard, let him bring the ball up,'' Cuban said Friday, detailing Flagg's potential with Dallas. 'Cooper at point guard, Klay (Thompson) at the two, P.J. (Washington) at the three, [Anthony Davis] and then [Dereck Lively] and (Daniel) Gafford — we're going to have the biggest team in the NBA.' With veterans all throughout the Mavericks' roster, the former Duke phenom projects to have a comfortable workload in the regular season as opposed to a massive one that a No. 1 pick may typically get — but this challenge from Kidd should keep Flagg extra busy in the summer league. Advertisement And there may not be a better current coach in the NBA to learn point-guard skills from than Kidd, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest pure point guards of all time. Kidd, who coached the Bucks from 2014-2018, mentioned that he employed similar tactics when coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose playmaking prowess has greatly progressed over the years.
Forbes
14 minutes ago
- Forbes
The Most Important Packers: No. 19 — Sean Rhyan
Sean Rhyan (75) started all 17 games at right guard for the Green Bay Packers last season. The Green Bay Packers went 11-6 last season, sweeping the NFC West and the AFC South along the way. Overall, though, no one in the building was happy. The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. Afterwards, general manager Brian Gutekunst turned up the heat on everybody in the building. 'We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,' Gutekunst said. 'I think it's time we started competing for championships.' Those are fair expectations. The Packers return 20 of 22 starters, and appear to have upgraded the roster via free agency and the draft. With several third and fourth year players trending upward, Green Bay should be poised to make a move. 'I think they're ready,' Gutekunst said. Now, it's time for the Packers to prove their G.M. right. Green Bay's first training camp practice is July 23. Between now and then I will count down the '30 Most Important Packers' heading into the 2025 campaign. At No. 19 is right guard Sean 19 Sean Rhyan, RG Last season Rhyan started all 17 games at right guard and had a respectable season. Rhyan allowed four sacks, had six penalties, and allowed 24 pressures. Rhyan's pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was 69.4, which ranked 38th out of 136 guards. His run blocking grade was 58.4, which ranked 87th. Rhyan split time with 2024 first round draft pick Jordan Morgan the first two months. In early November, though, Morgan was placed on the injured reserve list with a shoulder injury and Rhyan played all but eight snaps in the final 10 to date Rhyan, a third round draft pick in 2022, was suspended the final six games of his rookie season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances. That ended a dismal rookie year in which Rhyan played just one snap, and that came on special teams. Rhyan started the 2023 season where he spent the 2022 campaign — on the bench. By midseason, though, he had impressed enough during practice and began platooning with former Packer Jon Runyan. From Week 9 on, Rhyan played 183 snaps at right guard, didn't allow a sack and didn't have a penalty. According to league data, the Packers averaged 0.78 more yards per rushing attempt with Rhyan on the field versus when he wasn't in the lineup. Rhyan (6-5, 325) has unique athleticism for a guard, impressive strength and is incredibly bright. Rhyan's vertical jump of 34-1/2' was No. 1 among all guards at the NFL Combine in 2022. He set shot put and discus records while attending San Juan Hills High School (Calif.) and qualified to play on the feeder team for the Olympic USA rugby team. Rhyan also posted a 29 on the 50-question Wonderlic test, which is eight points higher than the NFL average. Rhyan was a starter at left tackle from the day he arrived at UCLA, starting 31 games during an impressive career with the Bruins. Rhyan earned freshman all-American honors after starting 12 games in 2019, and was named first-team all-Pac 12 in 2021. While Rhyan's hands are extremely large (11 1/8'), his arm length (32 3/8') was in the bottom 10% of guards in his draft All indications are the Packers will give Morgan every chance to unseat Rasheed Walker at left tackle. That means Rhyan could have firm hold on the right guard position, for now anyhow. If Morgan loses out at left tackle, the Packers could let him battle with Rhyan again. Rookie second round draft pick Anthony Belton could also factor in. But Rhyan — a tough, physical, athletic player — will be tough to dislodge. Rhyan is also entering a contract year, as are fellow offensive linemen Zach Tom and Walker. The Packers could lock Tom up with a long term deal before the season begins, but Rhyan's future remains Said It … 'As the season's been progressing, he's just getting better and better. He's still got things to work on fundamentally, but he just seems more comfortable, more confident. In the run game, he's doing a really good job finishing his blocks and just being physical at the point of attack. So yeah, it's been fun to watch.' — Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich on Rhyan last season'I'm a bigger guy. I know that they want me to move guys and I think being able to run the ball as good as you can pass the ball in this league I think is really an advantage. Some guys will just, ehhh, and then pass pro they're (expletive) All-Pro. But I think if you can do both as an O-line, I think that's great. And that's what I would like to be really good at, both run and pass as opposed to better at one than the other because I think running the ball is hugely important.' — Rhyan on his run blocking mentalityTHE TOP 30 • No. 30 — RB MarShawn Lloyd • No. 29 — WR Dontayvion Wicks • No. 28 — S Javon Bullard • No. 27 — WR Savion Williams • No. 26 — LB Isaiah McDuffie • No. 25 — OL Jordan Morgan • No. 24 — WR Matthew Golden • No. 23 — CB Carrington Valentine • No. 22 — WR Romeo Doubs • No. 21 — QB Malik Willis N0. 20 — DE Lukas Van Ness
