Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani has been the belle of the MLB ball this season as he continues a historic run of two-way play.
But ahead of Ohtani’s start against the San Diego Padres, Juan Soto isn’t letting the Shohei spectacle unnerve him one bit. The Padres outfielder spoke candidly about his side being ready for the challenge once the Japanese right-hander takes the mound on Tuesday for the second game of a three-game series.
“It’s impressive, but he’s going to have trouble to face this lineup tomorrow, definitely,” said Soto to a room full of reporters prior to the Padres’ 10-3 win over the Angels on Monday.
“I’m coming here to play baseball. We all know he’s [an] impressive player, but whenever he steps on that mound, I won’t be scared.”
Juan Soto says Shohei Ohtani is impressive but “he’s going to have trouble facing this lineup tomorrow.” pic.twitter.com/yLwKsf9Dn9
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 4, 2023
Ohtani has been the most potent hitter in the majors this season, leading all qualified players in home runs (31), slugging percentage (.664), and OPS (1.054) through 84 games played. His pitching may not be blowing everyone else out of the water in the same vein, but it’s still been mighty impressive thus far.
The Angels starter boasts a stellar 3.02 ERA through 16 starts, with the .180 batting average opposing hitters have against him ranking the lowest among all qualified pitchers.
The Padres haven’t lived up to their lofty preseason expectations. They’ve begun to hit better over the past month, after a rough start to the season, ranking amongst the top 10 in most offensive categories in that span. However, it hasn’t shown up in the win-loss column as they’ve lost seven of their last nine games.
But throw the numbers out of the window for San Diego’s tilt against Ohtani. A Padres lineup featuring Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts will surely be motivated to perform with the MLB spotlight shining on another Shohei start. Expect fireworks to fly, one way or another.
