Shohei Ohtani is fast. Now, we’re not just talking velocity when he throws on the mound either.
He’s fast out of the box and down to first. As a matter of fact, he once went from home to first base in 4.16 seconds, according to Codify. It helps that he’s left-handed, sure, but it’s just a reminder of how the two-way phenom dominates every aspect of the game.
His speed is noticed too, of course, especially by opposing manager Dusty Baker.
Prior to Friday’s game with the Houston Astros hosting the Los Angeles Angels, the Houston skipper talked about Ohtani’s speed saying, “He could probably outrun a bear.”
Dusty Baker on Shohei Ohtani: “He could probably outrun a bear.”
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) June 2, 2023
For reference, a brown bear runs about 35 mph. Ohtani sprints around 30 feet per second.
I don’t know if we’ll ever see a time when these two would race one another, but Ohtani’s speed remains underrated.
His former manager, Mike Scioscia, said in order to appreciate how fast Ohtani is, you have to see it in person. “But video doesn’t do him justice of how he runs,” Scioscia told ESPN in 2018.
“Anytime we’ve given him opportunities to run, he’s gotten good jumps,” Scioscia added. “His speed’s there. I haven’t noticed any of those flaws that he might perceive.”
We haven’t either.