Shohei Ohtani has gained a reputation as the Japanese Babe Ruth, but Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia sounds more excited about his skills as a pitcher.
Ohtani, who was officially introduced as a member of the Angels on Saturday, gained a reputation for his impressive two-way skills while playing in Japan. While the team will certainly be happy if his bat translates to Major League Baseball, it appears Scioscia is more excited to see him take the mound.
Scioscia on Ohtani: "I don't think we've seen a pitcher of his caliber come into our organization in a long time."
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) December 9, 2017
You have to think that the Angels’ pitching issues — which are not new — were part of the thinking here. Ohtani’s bat is exciting, but the Angels are in dire need of some top-level pitching. If Ohtani can provide that, it’s a win for the Angels. Vegas is certainly confident that he can.
