TORONTO — Slugger Mike Trout predicted teammate Shohei Ohtani would hit the Rogers Centre scoreboard during batting practice Tuesday.
Los Angeles Angels hitting coach Eric Hinske went one further and said Ohtani would put a ball right over it.
Ohtani, the 23-year-old Japanese sensation, had to settle for a monster shot that landed in the stadium's fifth deck during the must-see pre-game session.
The two-way rookie star is not scheduled to pitch during the three-game series against the Blue Jays — his first appearance in Toronto — but the presence of his powerful bat and stunningly smooth stroke should more than suffice.
"We've never seen anything like this before," Hinske said. "It's crazy. When you watch it, from every day I've been here, just to watch what he's doing, I'm just in shock every day.
"It's that cool."
Ohtani, who spent five years with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan before joining the Angels in the off-season, has posted remarkable early numbers for a first-year MLB player.
Making it even more special is that it's virtually unheard of these days to excel at the plate and on the mound.
Entering play Tuesday, he had a .321 average, .619 slugging percentage and .986 OPS (on-base plus slugging). Over 24 games, he has six homers and 17 RBIs.
Ohtani also has a 4-1 record after seven starts with a 3.35 earned-run average and 52 strikeouts over 40 1/3 innings. The right-hander averages 97 miles per hour with his fastball.
Coupled with an easygoing approach and aw-shucks demeanour, Ohtani appears to be a manager's dream.
"He's very focused," said Angels skipper Mike Scioscia. "I think he's done this enough in the major leagues in Japan to understand what he needs to do to stay physically able to pitch and to hit.
"It's a matter of really just acclimated to a whole new array of pitchers and a whole new array of hitters that are in the major leagues (here)."
A couple hundred fans took in Tuesday's batting practice session and the ooh's and aah's were frequent as the camera-phones rolled. The real eye-popper came with the blast that landed a few rows back in section 507 in right field.
He launched a few more into the 'Flight Deck' section below the scoreboard for good measure. He let out a faux-groan after slicing a ball that still managed to clear the wall.
A nice miss, as a golfer would say.
Ohtani is six foot four but appears rather slight with his 203-pound frame. He uses his broad shoulders and long arms to generate a swing that looks downright effortless.
Ohtani, who did not hold a pre-game media availability, is also a student of the game. He soaks up all the information he can to improve.
"His baseball IQ is through the roof," Hinske said. "He's a pitcher and a hitter. I think that those two minds go together."
Angels general manager Billy Eppler said Ohtani is incredibly detailed with his preparation.
"I think if there were PhDs he would qualify," Eppler said. "He spends a lot of time studying. A lot of time studying."
Ohtani struggled in spring training as he adjusted to the North American game. Hinske suggested that he lower the leg kick he was using in the batter's box and the tip worked.
"There were some moving parts," said Hinske, a former Blue Jay. "I just wanted to get him closer to the ground and suggested to put his foot down and he ran with that. Now I'm pretty much just part of his routine. I just want to be there for him."
Ohtani spent the first part of the season near the bottom of the batting order but has worked his way up into the meat of a potent lineup.
He batted fifth as the designated hitter in Tuesday's opener against Toronto, drawing a walk in the second inning against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ.
"He's an extraordinary talent," Scioscia said. "He works as hard on what he has to do on the mound as he does in the batter's box.
"I think you're just seeing a special player getting an opportunity to help a team in a variety of ways. He's off to a terrific start."
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Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
