Amazing Ohtani! He's the only 30 in the top 10 in fastballs among young guns, so he doesn't play in the home run derby

Jul 01, 2025

Amazing Ohtani! He's the only 30 in the top 10 in fastballs among young guns, so he doesn't play in the home run derby
LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani starts against the Kansas City Royals on the 29th (Korea time) and sprays the ball vigorously in the bottom of the first inning. AP Yonhap News



Amazing Ohtani! He's the only 30 in the top 10 in fastballs among young guns, so he doesn't play in the home run derby
오타니 쇼헤이. ImagesYonhap News
LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is awestruck when he shot 101.7 miles, his highest major league speed, in a one-night game against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium on the 29th (Korea time).

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, `We can't take Otani's desire to win. There must be a little stress, but when you start to see a hundred miles, you'll have tried to bully the batsmen. "No one knows Otani better than himself. You control yourself well. I'm glad to see the triple-digit speed again."

Kansas City's Vinny Pasquantino, who hit a double play on Ohtani's 101.7-mile fastball on the same day, `I faced the two fastest balls of his career"Two years ago on the WBC, he threw a 166km ball (102 miles of Statcast) at me, and he looked at the electronic display and said, "What is this? I thought, 'I don't know what the number is, but I think he likes to throw fastballs at me.'"




Ohtani received his first Tommy John Surgery (TJS) on his right elbow in the fall of 2018, his first big league season. Ohtani, who spent two seasons in rehabilitation as a pitcher in 2019 and 2020, joins the Angels rotation in 2021 to create a full-fledged pitching and hitting myth.

However, he complained of elbow pain during pitching against the Cincinnati Reds in August 2024 and eventually couldn't avoid a second TJS in September of that year. Dr. Neil Elatrice, who conducted the surgery, did not use the expression TJS, but it was actually TJS in that he had ligament reconstruction. At the same time, Dr. Elatrice predicted a revival earlier, saying, `After 2024, I will return perfectly as a pitcher in 2025.'

Amazing Ohtani! He's the only 30 in the top 10 in fastballs among young guns, so he doesn't play in the home run derby
Otani threw a 101.7 mile fastball, his career-high, against Kansas Steele on the 29th (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News
He failed to join the opening rotation, which was his original goal, because he had surgery for a left shoulder injury while stealing in the second game of last year's World Series, but after careful and meticulous rehabilitation, he was able to return to the game against the San Diego Padres on June 17 for the first time in a year and 10 months.




However, Ohtani surprised officials by throwing a fastball of up to 100.2 miles against San Diego. On the 23rd, the Washington Nationals recorded a maximum of 98.8 miles and an average of 97.9 miles. And his fastball speed of 11 pitches against Kansas City hit a maximum of 101.7 miles and an average of 98.8 miles.

Seven fastballs over 100 miles have been made by the Dodgers this season. Ohtani threw four of them. Of course, 101.7 miles is the highest speed for a Dodgers pitcher this season.

It is a miracle that a pitcher who has received TJS twice in the past two years will have this speed immediately after his return, and it is due to superhuman strength. Pitchers who have received TJS sometimes increase their speed after returning. However, it is very unusual for a pitcher who received a second TJS to increase his speed.




Just before receiving TJS, Ohtani had a maximum fastball speed of 101.2 miles and an average of 96.8 miles in 2023. In 2022, when it peaked as a pitcher, it was a maximum of 101.4 miles and an average of 97.3 miles. However, this year, it may be because of the side of throwing one or two innings, but he has broken his maximum speed and is enjoying a career high with an average of 98.7 miles.

It is unclear whether Ohtani will be able to maintain his arrest in the first three games in the future. If he recovers his condition as a true starting pitcher who throws more than five innings, his speed will inevitably decrease because he needs to control his speed. However, the difference is not expected to be significant.

Amazing Ohtani! He's the only 30 in the top 10 in fastballs among young guns, so he doesn't play in the home run derby
Milwaukee Brewers' special rookie Jacob Mizerauski, who recently debuted. ImagesYonhap News
Ohtani's average fastball speed is third among the starting pitchers this season. The first place is Milwaukee Brewers' special rookie Jacob Miserauski, who recently debuted in the Major League and won three consecutive games with a strong four-seam fastball. His average fastball velocity of 131 pitches is 99.6 miles. The maximum speed is 102.4 miles, and 62 are over 100 miles. He threw just three games, the most of any pitcher who threw more than 100 miles.

Cincinnati Reds Hunter Green is second with 99.3 miles and Ohtani is third. Miami Marlins Eury Perez (98.2 miles), Cincinnati Chase Burns (98.1 miles), Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skins (98.1 miles), Los Angeles Angels Jose Soriano (97.6 miles), Detroit Tigers Tarik Scubal (97.6 miles), Colorado Rockies Chase Dolander (97.6 miles) and Miami Sandy Alcantara (97.4 miles).

Among the top 10 fastball pitchers, Ohtani is the only one who is over 30 years old.

Meanwhile, Ohtani missed the All-Star Home Run Derby again this year. "Given the current Home Run Derby rules, I don't think it will be possible to participate in that event," he said in a recent ESPN interview.

The current home run derby will be advanced by combining time and pitch limit. Round 1-2 has 3 minutes-40 and final 2 minutes-27. Three additional outcounts will be given to this, and one outcount will be added as a bonus if you hit a large home run of 425 feet or more. On top of that, the first round is not one-on-one, but eight players compete, and the top four players advance to the second round. This regulation is physically burdensome for Ohtani, who has just resumed his pitching and hitting jobs, and the risk of injury is high.

Ohtani's only participation in the home run derby was in the 91st All-Star Game at Coors Field in 2021. At that time, Ohtani faced Washington Nationals Juan Soto (currently the New York Mets) in the first round and was eliminated after extra time.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.