“That Was Absurd” Shohei Ohtani’s Monstrous Homerun Leaves James Outman in Awe

Shohei Ohtani personifies the phrase – nothing is impossible. He is a two-way dominance, a player who defies categorization. On Tuesday night, he totally lived up to that reputation and then some more. What did he do? He launched a home run so awe-inspiring it left his teammates speechless calling it “Absurd”.

James Outman, a Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, accurately captured the sentiment when asked “Can we talk about Shohei’s home run?” But first of all, Ohtani took a 1-0 splitter from the Washington Nationals reliever Matt Barnes landing it a staggering 450 feet away. It was the furthest hit by a Dodger this season.

James Outman’s reaction sums up the impact of Ohtani’s homerun

Outman expressed, “It looks like a cruise missile. That was absurd. I’ve never seen anything like that.” It was absurd, indeed.  But distance wasn’t the only aspect of this story. This was a missile, leaving the bat at a scorching 118.7 miles per hour, officially marking the hardest-hit home run of Ohtani’s entire career. The sheer power on display left everyone watching in awe. If this isn’t a testament to Ohtani’s otherworldly talent, then what is?

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was not shy about praising Ohtani either. He did a side-by-side of the swing to those of baseball’s current powerhouses, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. These names are renowned for their ability to launch moonshots. “It’s kind of like Stanton or Judge. There’s a few guys that can hit a ball like that. It was a top-spin liner that reached the second deck. There’s not too many guys that can do that. It’s lightning in that bat,” Roberts said.

This wasn’t just a single blast; it was a testament to Ohtani’s immense potential. His present batting statistics (.364/.430/.677) display a hitter in peak form who can carry a team on his shoulders. On one hand, there’s room for improvement with runners in scoring position. On the other, moments like this underscore the fear Ohtani creates in opposing pitchers.

A long way to go for Shohei Ohtani

The Dodgers, who are at the moment grappling with inconsistency in the lower part of their lineup, could use Ohtani’s continued offensive mastery. His ability to “change the game with a single swing,” as manager Dave Roberts put it, is a game-changer. With Ohtani showcasing this kind of power, the Blue Crew might just find themselves dominating their opponents, one ‘lightning in a bat’ swing at a time.

This home run served as a talking point for the team’s overall offensive strategy. While Ohtani shone because of the dinger, Manager Roberts’ comments did highlight potential adjustments needed in some of his inconsistencies. There’s still a long way to go for Shohei Ohtani, he’s just getting started.