Shohei Ohtani is bringing baseball back, one home run at a time

Shohei Ohtani – The two-way ballplayer from Japan has taken the MLB and the baseball world as a whole by storm this season. Going into the All-Star Game, Ohtani leads the MLB in HR’s with 33, 5 more than the man trailing him in that category, Fernando Tatis Jr. And, oh yeah, he doesn’t just “take.”

He was also voted into the All-Star Game as a pitcher as well as a DH. On the mound, he’s 4-1 with an ERA well below 4.00. His high heat fastball and deadly splitter rank him among the best on the mound. But Ohtani’s greatest impact may be what he’s doing for the sport off the field, with the help of some teammates and opponents like the aforementioned Tatis Jr. and Mets ace Jacob deGrom. ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Ratings are up 33% from the 2020 season. That includes an opening weekend game featuring Ohtani’s Angels that averaged over 1.6 million viewers. In a world where we see more fast-paced sports like basketball and hockey on the rise, baseball is reminding us it’s America’s pastime. 

But, stats don’t tell you the whole story. I have some prime examples of how baseball is rising. Take NBA-based YouTuber King Of The 4th Quarter (KOT4Q) for example. KOT4Q, whose real name is Kenny Beachem, became famous for his NBA2k videos and breakdowns of the sport of basketball. He never really branched out to any other sport. But now, after seeing things like Ohtani’s historic performances, this year he’s made an MLB-focused Twitter account and an MLB-focused YouTube account. Baseball, thanks in part to Shohei, is reaching and appealing to the younger generation, which we haven’t seen over the past decade. 

And then well, there’s me. Basketball has been my #1 sport for years now, and it will probably always be. But, I often find myself every day seeing what time the Angel game is on, what dates Shohei pitches, and searching up stats and videos about the season for other teams. All of this because of how one guy is swinging the bat and throwing heaters. I’m writing this the night before Shohei competes in the HR derby at notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field. I wouldn’t be surprised by the time you’re reading this Shohei is in the news for winning the derby and hitting a 490-foot bomb out of the park, or something more ridiculous. Shohei is truly something special, and he could help baseball become as popular as it once was not just in the States, but also around the world. 

So, after the all-star break, go ahead. Check the next time Shohei is pitching or where he’s batting in the order that night. I promise when you tune in, you will be entertained.