Toward the end of the season, Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani’s feelings on playing for a non-contender started to make the rounds. That is to say that he started to mildly express disappointment that his team wasn’t winning more games. Despite Ohtani hitting, pitching and running the bases like an MVP (an award he will likely win later this week), the Angels finished 77-85, which was good for fourth place in the AL West.
Now, let’s point out that fellow stars Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon were hurt for nearly the whole season. Of course, the Angels were 26-34 in 2020, 72-90 in 2019 and haven’t had a winning record since 2015, so it’s not as if the losing season was a blip on the radar that could be blamed solely on those two injuries.
Apparently the thoughts and feelings haven’t escaped Ohtani since the end of the season.
Monday, Ohtani did a Q&A for an hour at the Japan Press Club. Among his answers, via the Associated Press, was this about him not exactly enjoying all the losing:
“Of course I feel down,” he said, indicating his emotions toward the of end of the just-completed season.
“Since I joined the major leagues, the team has not been winning and we didn’t have much prospect of going beyond the regular season. So in the latter half of the season, psychologically it was more stressful. And of course I feel down occasionally when I can’t hit — or when my pitches are hit.”
Hey, it’s hard to blame him. No true competitor likes playing every single season out of contention. It is also notable with free agency not entirely far off for Ohtani.
First, coming off a season in which he’s going to win MVP, he’s totally underpaid. He made $3 million last season (Fangraphs estimates his play was worth $41 million) and is set to make $5.5 million in 2022 before a final season of arbitration in 2023. The optimal time for the Angels to extend him would probably be this offseason when they can buy out his final two years of arbitration and several years of free agency with a hefty pay raise.
If Ohtani is worried about continuing to play for a non-contender, however, would be even entertain extension offers?
That’s why his pretty vanilla comments are worth a look. He didn’t say anything offensive or controversial in the least, but that it is something on his mind is notable.
Ohtani, 27, hit .257/.372/.592 (158 OPS+) with 26 doubles, eight triples, 46 homers, 100 RBI, 103 runs, 26 steals and led the league with 20 intentional walks. On the mound, he was 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings. His 9.1 WAR (Baseball-Reference version) led the majors in a blowout.
