Shohei Ohtani First Starting Pitcher Since 1901 to Leadoff in Same Game

The Angels designated hitter and pitcher lead both sides of the rotation during a spring training game.

Shohei Ohtani lived up to his Sho Time nickname on Sunday when the Angels' Swiss army knife started on the mound and at the plate against the Padres. Despite being a spring training game, he's only the second pitcher and fourth player in MLB history to lead a rotation on both sides. 

Shohei Ohtani pulls double duty today!

⚾️ 1:10pm PT
📺 Fox Sports Prime Ticket
📻 @AngelsRadioKLAA pic.twitter.com/qNXDLAkWqo

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 21, 2021

Ohtani didn't waste any time to start things off at Peoria Stadium when he sent one to deep center field for his first at-bat. The Japan native is 13-for-21 at the plate during spring training with a .619 batting average.

Shohei Ohtani is now 13-for-21 (.619 BA) this spring pic.twitter.com/mgyhjute1o

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) March 21, 2021

The Angles love Ohtani at the plate but wanted to be more aggressive with the dual-threat this season. The team's manager, Joe Maddon, spoke to his designated hitter before the game about his duties. 

"I wouldn't spring this [on] him at the last moment," Maddon told MLB.com. "Like everything else that we've been talking about with him, I wanted his understanding in advance and his feelings. I wanted to talk it through and we did. We've been working toward this moment. He feels good about where he's at pitching-wise and of course with his swing. We just want to pop it out there and see what it looks like."

Jim Jones of the New York Giants was the first pitcher to start on both sides and the only player to ever do it for more than one inning back on Sept. 30, 1901. Since then, Al Dark of the Giants did it for one inning on Sept. 27, 1953, and Twins player César Tovar did it on Sept. 22, 1968.

Both instances were those players' only pitching appearances of their careers. 

Despite the historical significance of Ohtani's starting at the plate and on the mound, Maddon downplayed the decision. 

"It's not unusual," he said. "Pitchers have hit in games for years and they're doing it again this year. The difference is that the pitcher is hitting first. It's an anomaly moment, only about that. I figured a lot would be made of it. I get it. But if he was in the National League, he would've had to play a position to hit [on non-pitching days.]"