Angels News: Shohei Ohtani is Taking League by Storm with New Pitching Method

Ohtani's new go-to pitch is in a league of its own

The Halos are off to a solid start to the 2023 season, and a big reason for that is due to their two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is already having an MVP and Cy Young-type season. It's not surprising, considering he is the best player in the league, but how he's doing it is quite impressive. 

Ohtani's ability to bat and pitch at an elite level has never gotten unnoticed; however, his pitching has been on another level, and that's all thanks to his new favorite pitch: the sweeper. 

The 28-year-old used that pitch more than half the time on Tuesday night and told OC Register's Jeff Fletcher he's been using that pitch since his days in Japan. 

“I’ve been throwing it since my days in Japan,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “I have always had the smaller slider and the bigger slider. These days they call it the sweeper.”

Shohei's sweeper has been great for him, as he is 2-0 in three starts with a 0.47 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and a 0.95 WHIP thus far in 2023. 

As Fletcher said, a sweeper is a slider thrown with less velocity and more movement than a slider. A sweeper is a sort of new pitch, and no one throws it better than the Angels superstar. 

If it's working for Shohei, then keep on throwing it. He's been virtually unstoppable for the Halos, and the sweeper is a big reason for that.