#Shortstops: Hats Off for Shohei
On a sunny Sunday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum, the air was ripe with anticipation.
Crowds gathered around the bullpen, and 23-year-old rookie Shohei Ohtani looked to the mound, glove and cap in hand. Win or lose, history was about to be made.
Ohtani’s big league pitching debut on April 1, 2018, didn’t come without scrutiny. The two-way Japanese phenom had a disappointing showing in Spring Training, giving up a whopping nine runs in almost three innings, with some even questioning whether he was ready for MLB at all, let alone take the mound.
But as he faced the A’s leadoff batter, Marcus Semien, his face showed no signs of doubt. He adjusted his gear, wound up and hurled a fastball – 96 miles per hour for strike one.
A five-time NPB All-Star, as well as a Pacific League Most Valuable Player, Ohtani’s move to MLB wasn’t motivated by money, nor fame.
“I am not a complete player yet,” Ohtani said, “and I want to go to an environment where I can continue to improve.”
On his second pitch to Semien, Ohtani delivered an 82 mph slider, one prompting a whiff from the A’s slugger. Strike two.
Poised to put Semien away with one more pitch, Ohtani unleashed another slider, this time clocked at 84 mph, but Semien didn’t bite. With the pitch coming in high, the count stood at 1-2. At the same time, across the Pacific Ocean, thousands of Japanese fans had tuned into the game, watching with anticipation.
With all eyes on him, Shohei looked toward Martín Maldonado, with the backstop flashing the sign. With a silent confirmation, Shohei unleashed his most devastating weapon – a pitch used by less than 50 hurlers in 2017 – a pitch that underwent constant refinement during his Spring Training campaign, and a pitch that would result in his first MLB strikeout.
Clocking in at 88 mph and sinking like a stone, Semien took a violent but fruitless hack. With strike three, Shohei’s splitter had officially arrived.
The cap Ohtani wore that day is on display at the Museum’s Yakyu | Baseball exhibit.
Mark LaPierre is the 2026 social media intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development
