Shohei Ohtani makes history as pitcher in near-perfect start...while at the plate

Shohei Ohtani flirted with a perfect game for the LA Angels on Wednesday, but what was more impressive was history he made before he ever even threw a pitch. According to Richard Dean of MLB.com, Ohtani became "the first starting pitcher to bat twice before throwing a pitch since at least 1900."

Of course, if there was anyone to do this, it would be Ohtani. He's one of the greatest hitting pitchers of all-time. He's so dominant with the bat and so fast that Angels Manager Joe Maddon has him batting leadoff, allowing for a feat like this to happen. The best part, however, wasn't just that he batted twice.

The best part was that he got on base both times, first on a walk (he later scored) and then second on a two-RBI double. It goes to show that he's not only just pitching and batting, but pitching and batting at an elite level. Ohtani had another base hit later in the game.

Shohei Ohtani also pitched six innings of shutout baseball later in the game for the LA Angels.

Shohei Ohtani got the win for the LA Angels, going perfect through 5.1 IP, and striking out 12 on the day. He only allowed one hit and one walk. He was truly tremendous both on the mound and at the plate. He hit the entire game--even staying in to hit after he was done on the mound.

It was reminiscent of last season, when he seemed to find a new way to make history every single night. That's the type of player Ohtani is, and he's really starting to heat up both with the bat and on the mound. Expect Ohtani to be just as effective as he was last season. He's already making baseball history this year, and this isn't the first time this season either.