Two-Way Shohei Ohtani Is Back, Hit a Leadoff Bomb, And His 0.73 ERA Is Still Defying Logic

Okay, 12s, you gotta talk about this guy. The Dodgers decided to unleash Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player again on Wednesday, after they'd sidelined him from hitting for his three previous pitching starts. And what happened? He rewarded them immediately. Seriously, this dude hits different.

The Bat and the Blast That Got Everyone Talking

First pitch of the game. BOOM. Ohtani sent one 405 feet into the seats for his eighth home run of the year, his sixth career first-pitch leadoff bomb. Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill gave it a look, but that ball was GONE. This game was huge, too, setting up the NL West lead for the weekend. After that insane start, Ohtani went 1-for-4 with the homer and a walk, but the damage was done. And get this, his bat, which had some folks worried, is actually heating up, too! Over his last eight games, he's 13-for-27 with four doubles, a triple, and two homers. He’s slashing .272/.399/.486. That's above average for sure, even if it's "below his standards" since he joined LA. The Dodgers ended up winning 4-0, pushing their record to 31-19 and giving them a 1.5-game cushion over the Padres for the NL West lead after taking the series in San Diego.

The Arm That Is Plain Unfair

Now, let's talk about the pitching. Ohtani wasn't just hitting dingers. He threw five scoreless innings, giving up only three hits and two walks, while striking out four. You ready for this? His ERA is now 0.73. Let that sink in. SEVEN-THREE. That would be the lowest mark in MLB if he had enough innings to qualify, but he's only at 49 innings through 50 Dodgers games. For perspective, his ERA is literally half the mark of the current MLB leader, Cam Schlittler, who sits at 1.50. The Dodgers are clearly prioritizing his health for the postseason, pitching him on fewer than six days' rest only once this season. Even though qualifying for the ERA title might be an uphill climb, it's clear he doesn't need to hit that threshold to snag his first Cy Young. Statcast's xERA predictor has him at a still-amazing 2.33, but before Wednesday, he hadn't allowed more than two earned runs in a single start and his ERA hadn't crept above 1.00 all season. MLB.com's Sarah Langs even confirmed his 0.73 ERA is the seventh-lowest in MLB history through eight starts. It's safe to assume he's hit more dingers than those six pitchers combined, too. It's borderline impossible, folks. The man is a walking highlight reel and a statistical anomaly. While the rest of the league is trying to process what Ohtani is doing, our Mariners are out here grinding. Just last night, our boys battled to a 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox! Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez are out there doing their thing, and we'll be back at T-Mobile Park for more action. It's May, and the season is just getting going. Let's keep that momentum rolling, Emerald City!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.