Shohei Ohtani Opens Up on Secret Improvement Behind First Home Run, Perseveres Despite Slow Start

In pursuit of power, sometimes people forget that baseball is also a game of vision. Any ballplayer would tell you that a 95mph pitch looks nothing more than a blur. To successfully understand the direction of that pitch is nothing more than sensational. What makes Shohei Ohtani great is that he has an elite vision. That vision allows him to predict the ball’s trajectory perfectly and it seems he’s fast regaining that ability.

After all, it isn’t easy for a hitter to return to the plate after an extended absence. Ohtani’s elbow surgery forced him out of baseball for a few months. While fans noted how difficult the superstar’s physical comeback will be, a few talked about his ability to see the ball. The slow start to his Los Angeles Dodgers debut season further increased worries about his vision but it seems Ohtani has made some secret improvements.

After Shohei Ohtani ended his Home Run drought through a 430 ft home run, it was obvious he’d be bombarded with questions. That’s exactly what happened as shown by Dodger Blue’s video. Ohtani was surrounded by reporters who asked about his experience, and how “relieved he was” but one person asked if he getting better at seeing the ball. To this, Ohtani answered with words that could be music to his fans’ ears.

“Yeah, I was able to, you know, able to see the ball better each day. But it’s never a guarantee so I’m just happy that it led to a good result,” Ohtani said via his interpreter Will Ireton. The Dodgers star has maintained that despite his recent drought, his vision has remained unaffected. He was seeing the ball but not timing it well.

The Blue Crews’ skipper Dave Roberts has shared similar sentiments. Clearly, the Dodgers staff was quickly diagnosed the core issue for Ohtani and have since worked on healing it.

Shohei Ohtani’s vision and timing issues slowly getting solved

Last weekend Ohtani nearly missed the chance to be the game-winning hero of the Dodgers. He had all the bases filled but popped out. Later Shotime shared (per Yahoo Sports) that, “I feel like I’m seeing the ball well. But I feel like there’s a little bit something off with my timing.” Later Dave Roberts uttered something in a similar vein. He shared that while Ohtani “missed some pitches that he had a chance to move forward,” he believed that “the most important thing is that he’s healthy and seeing the baseball well.” 

So basically, the Dodgers’ staff and Ohtani were aware that it was his timing, not vision that was the issue. While that homer came in as a huge relief, there’s still a long way to go for Shotime. After all Blue Crews’ hitting coach Aaron Bates shared on Monday, Ohtani’s “point of contact” has varied a little bit. That has led to him either swinging too early or too late. 

Certainly, Ohtani has his work cut out for him. But then he’s a generational talent – if he can’t figure it out who can?

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