When Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels, the announcement was so massive that the internet briefly forgot about cats. The Angels promised him the freedom to both pitch and hit, which sounds simple, but baseball history says that’s like promising a unicorn you’ll let it fly and breathe fire—technically possible, but no one has done it since Babe Ruth took a nap.
And then Ohtani actually did it. In 2026, he became the first player ever to be named an All-Star as both a pitcher and a hitter in the same season. He also led the league in home runs while striking out batters like they owed him money. Pitchers would watch him hit a 470-foot bomb, then walk to the mound and strike out the next three guys. It was, objectively, absurd.
MLB Reacts to Shohei Ohtani Making History With Dodgers - Athlon Sports
But here’s the joke: the Angels, despite having Ohtani and Mike Trout (the other best player on Earth), never made the playoffs. It was like owning a Ferrari and a jetpack but driving them into a ditch every October. The team finished with losing records in five of his six seasons, which is statistical malpractice when you have a man who can legally pitch and hit for you on the same afternoon.
By the end, Ohtani’s time in Anaheim was a comedy of errors—injuries, roster collapses, and one legendary moment where he struck out a batter, then walked to the dugout, grabbed a bat, and hit a double. The Angels’ front office probably cried into their halos.
Surprising Fact: Ohtani’s 2026 WBC Performance
Before leaving the Angels, Ohtani gave the world its greatest baseball moment during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. In the final, he struck out his Angels teammate Mike Trout on a 3-2 slider to win the championship for Japan. The stadium went silent, then exploded. He literally ended the tournament by embarrassing his own coworker. That’s power.
