“He’s Faster Than Everyone”: Dave Roberts Reveals Key Insight Into What Makes Shohei Ohtani the Complete Baseball Player

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ triumph over the San Francisco Giants was not just about hitting hard. It revealed various talents that Shohei Ohtani possesses, such as speed, which has been underrated for quite some time. According to the Dodgers’ manager’s post-game interview with Dave Roberts, “He’s faster than everyone on the field.” For this reason, Ohtani is a great player and a game-changer as well.

Ohtani’s speed is not only limited to stealing bases; it disrupts defense, as exemplified by his infield hits against giants that beat out infield hits and forced errors. Even more significantly, his pace adds another element of uncertainty to his game, making him even more dangerous on the base paths. Roberts, who has seen how fast he has become, admitted that, given his athleticism in general, nowadays his speed does not come much as a surprise anymore.

“There’s nothing he can’t do,” emphasized Roberts when speaking about the different ways that Ohtani gets past rivals. Such interlocking skills, together with his agility, make him an extraordinary weapon on the basepath and the mound. As expressed by Roberts while saying having Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Dodger blue is a huge advantage, it’s precisely these sorts of players who change everything.

Indeed, did Shohei Ohtani make a difference in the game against the Giants, going 2-for-5 but always with the presence of speed all over? After forcing an infield single, allowing him to advance from there, he scored on a weak contact dribbler down the third base line, avoiding a double play turned wild pitch. To sum up, Blake Sabol (Giants catcher) says: “Unfortunately, he doesn’t just throw 100 mph and hit 500-foot bombs… He could also run like a gazelle”

When talking about Ohtani, one should not look at speed purely for its raw athleticism. It is also knowing when to take an extra base, putting pressure on defense, and being aggressive in the sense that it is not only about his baseball instincts and IQ. For other teams, this is a complete nightmare for those who have the combination of physical ability and game smarts.

The Dodgers’ investment in Ohtani has definitely paid off. He’s more than just a star; he is a team sparkplug. There have been very few players in history with speed, power, and pitching abilities like those possessed by Ohtani. That’s why Roberts feels so blessed to have him on their Dodgers jersey.

A night of speed, spectacle, and Dodger dominance at Oracle Park, embracing Shohei Ohtani mania

This was the first time Ohtani played at Oracle Park wearing Dodger blue. The atmosphere was electric, with what seemed like a majority of Dodger fans egging on their new hero. His presence will continue to enhance the rivalry between the Giants and the Dodgers since he signed for ten years with them.

Even at the pregame stage, every move by Ohtani was being watched closely by fans and media alike. A simple act of throwing around in the right field turned into a media event where all cameras were trained on him throughout those throws. It speaks volumes about “the Ohtani effect,” whereby everything he does becomes news.

Throughout the game, however, Shohei Ohtani showed his speed. He beat out a grounder to third that would have gone for a double play and then hustled to second base on an errant pickoff throw. Ohtani’s ability to run hard on even a slow-hit ball forced the Giants’ defense.

To try to keep track of Ohtani, the Giants employed different strategies, such as using Jordan Hicks and Erik Miller in their pitching staff. At one point, they managed to strike him out with a good curveball, but his speed and power enabled him to make contact even when swinging off balance.

Moreover, this game revealed how deep the Dodgers’ lineup is. In the 5th inning, their DH, Shohei Ohtani, reached base on an infield single, which scored their only run, whereas in the 10th, Will Smith hit a two-run double that sealed the Dodgers victory. It is evident that, as much as he may be a powerful player in his own right, it takes teamwork to capture a win.