This one’s for the baseball romantics—the ones who still believe in the myth of the two-way superstar. Because on a humid Saturday in Kansas City, Shohei Ohtani didn’t just throw a baseball—he threw down a gauntlet.
Let’s set the scene: third start back on the mound since elbow surgery, Dodgers vs. Royals, and Ohtani’s still shaking off the rust. But then, with two on and one out, he rears back and unleashes a 101.7 mph fastball—the fastest pitch of his entire MLB career. The poor soul on the receiving end? Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who grounded into a double play and probably needed a moment to process what just happened.
Here’s the kicker: this isn’t even the first time Ohtani’s fastest pitch has come at Pasquantino. Back in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, he hit 102 mph against him for Team Japan. Pasquantino joked afterward, “He keeps doing that to me.” You can’t make this stuff up.
But let’s not get lost in the radar gun readings. This moment was about more than velocity. It was about presence. Ohtani’s return to the mound has been cautious—two innings here, a few strikeouts there—but this pitch? It was a thunderclap. A reminder that even after two Tommy John surgeries, the man is still rewriting what’s possible.
Manager Dave Roberts said it best: “There’s a little bit of stress, and that’s when you start seeing the hundreds and trying to bully guys.” And bully he did. Four of the Dodgers’ seven 100+ mph pitches this season came from Ohtani in this single outing.
Now, let’s talk implications. The Dodgers lost the game 9–5, sure, but that’s not the story. The story is that Ohtani’s arm is alive. That he’s not just a designated hitter with pop—he’s still a pitcher who can dominate. And if he keeps ramping up like this, the Dodgers’ rotation just got a whole lot scarier heading into the second half of the season.
From a betting perspective, this changes the calculus. The Dodgers were already favorites in the NL West, but if Ohtani becomes a reliable starter again—even in short bursts—that’s a massive edge. His WAR is already climbing, and his presence on the mound adds a psychological weight that no stat can measure.
So here’s the question: If Ohtani can hit 101.7 mph in his third start back, what’s he going to look like in October?
