Ohtani Throws 100 MPH Pitch, Hits Homer Out Even Faster

When it comes to playing baseball, Shohei Ohtani is a renaissance man of sorts. It took him all of one inning to show that Sunday, when Ohtani threw a pitch that approached 101 mph. Later that same inning, he hit a pitch that exited his bat at 115 mph.

That, folks, is what’s known as an historic performance. Ohtani and the Angels went on to beat the White Sox by a 7-4 count.

“I’m glad I got one game like this under my belt, and it’s going to lead to a lot of confidence for me,” Ohtani told reporters through his translator.

Ohtani became just the third pitcher in 45 years to hit for himself in a game with a designated hitter available. He was also the first such pitcher since 1903 to bat second in the lineup. Jack Dunleavy last did that for the Cardinals over a hundred years ago.

“He’s everything we thought he could be, right?” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s the complete baseball player. He just needed the opportunity to do it. … What he did tonight was pretty special, and you’re going to see a lot more of that.”