Los Angeles Angels: 3 reasons why Shohei Ohtani should become a closer

Health Concerns

Shohei Ohtani was arguably the most sought after foreign MLB import since Ichiro Suzuki. Ohtani presents the uncanny baseball athlete that boasts a different type of five-tool set. He can run, he can hit, and he can hit for power — but his arm is on the mound.

From the day Ohtani stepped onto an MLB mound, he has flashed triple digit heat to go along with a variety of other plus pitches. However, the stress placed on his arm and focus on things outside of solely pitching can often contribute to arm injury. While this might not be the case with Ohtani in particular, there is still a conversation worth having.

Keeping the Halos’ prized gem of Japan is integral to their future. The Angels’ future is the three headed monster of Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Ohtani in the middle of the order. If Ohtani gets hurt on one end of his play, he is lost for both. You simply cannot rely on a player that in some ways, carries added risk.

While the Angels have done an admiral job with adjusting to Ohtani and allowing him to be on the schedule he desires to keep his body fresh, it has hurt the team in more ways than one. His absence at times is notable and his injuries have affected the Halos. This isn’t Ohtani’s fault in the slightest as in all actuality, he is something of an MLB experiment. Whether or not it has failed has yet to be seen given Ohtani’s age and overall lack of experience on both sides of the ball at the MLB level.