Shohei's Swing: Sweet & Simple

Mark DeRosa takes to the MLB Central Skybox to dive into Shohei Ohtani's swing and break down how he generates so much power with simple movements.
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[@koningklootzak7788]

And don't forget he went through 3 big changes recently. 1 change of team, 2 getting married, 3 Ippei scandal. Yet he is totally focused on baseball and he is performing at a superb level. Impressive mentality.

[@jasonjohnston4766]

Well that’s his job so he should he’s just like everyone else going through stuff but still expected to do your job imagine that

[@zhc2200]

​@@jasonjohnston4766As the most gifted baseball player ever, I'd expect the same too. No worries.

[@Shakazulu6.1]

Agree.

[@zhc2200]

@@jasonjohnston4766 As he is the most gifted baseball player ever, I agree as well.

[@xkazazax]

4 Surgery on his arm

[@user-db4kp1wp5h]

Shohei is a pitcher who's recovering from surgery and his swing is the most beautiful. He's a different creature.

[@timmyg831]

That’s a beautiful stance Shohei has, now that he can focus solely on hitting alone he could likely win hitting title.

[@jefflibby4784]

Simple answer... YES. He's a hall of famer, now!!!

[@surfwriter8461]

Yes, no equivocation, no excuses. Give him his own room in the Hall of Fame, reserved and decorated in advance.

[@chicofoxo]

Only ever player to qualify for both hitting and pitching stats in the same season. *AND they weren't just make the appearances to qualify numbers, they were top 10 hitting, top 5 pitching numbers.

[@paulrevere1479]

Remember the flaming hot start by Betts? Remember the slow start by Ohtani? Ohtani now leads the majors in batting average. Crazy

[@johnnylis4347]

Negative people never appreciate greatness.....once in a life time we are seeing SHOHEI OHTANI

[@JohnSmith-nj4zq]

Everyone was just expecting for Shohei to have an average season because he is still recovering from his surgery. Instead he is still performing at a high level.

[@jackyshin3045]

Wrong. He's not performing at a high level, he is actually performing at his HIGHEST level, he's leading the majors in batting .368 with. 1000+ ops? Come on who would have thought of that?

[@thanhclips]

This is an avg yr. His usually yr is 30+ HR w 12+ wins.

[@craigwheeler4760]

@@thanhclips His average hitting year will have to suffice here, since he's taking the year off pitching. I think his average healthy season is close to 40 HR since 2021. He's a machine! and his batting average just keeps climbing.

[@cindymmm11]

My favorite baseball player of all time. Showtime Shohei! 😍❤️

[@tednguyen7258]

im your favorite

[@1utube01]

He's 3rd behind Griffey and Bo Jackson for me.

[@skytheblue3924]

I love the way he swings, it’s so beautiful and elegant to me.

[@jeffl8549]

Mark DeRosa doing the analysis is a Hall-of-Famer! This guy gets me PUMPED. It's like he just gains momentum with each video and each slide. He's crazy! In another life, he'd be an incredible lawyer making his case. The dude was a MLB professional, so he just sees things that most don't and verbalizes what he sees with energized fluidity.

[@bballmemories]

Players get hot and cold throughout the season but it seems that Ohtani just stays consistent, neither too hot nor too cold.

[@jro21]

Wait till he gets hot

[@koningklootzak7788]

Hotter than most players, all the time.

[@AT-hf4pe]

He actually gets hot sometimes (mostly in the middle of the season) in terms of home runs - so that will be fun (hopefully :))

[@brandohernandez9991]

160+ games we just want to be healthy in October

[@headcoatee]

His performance last June and July were simply absurd even by his standards.

[@londzale3163]

Bro He’s a hall of Famer 1st ballot! Dude smashed babe Ruth’s records like 2 years ago.

[@23skidoo46]

having watched every at bat of his this season. that's the quietest .370 BA i've ever seen. lol

[@globaledu2876]

Viva, Shohei! Our all time favorite player of baseball games! He's one of the kind, and with his talent,great personality, and outstanding characters, he deserves to be respected and admired. Keep up the good work , Shohei! 👍😍❤

[@zhooney]

Amazement just continues with Shohei, no matter what. I think Shohei is eyeing for triple crown this year! 😳🙀👍

[@trevorcarey3997]

Superman Shohei Ohtani and Sadaharu Oh with Ichiro Sazuki is now three of the greatest baseball player's ever from Japan. They talk Bonds with 752 home runs in his 22 seasons, Sadaharu Oh had 868 HRs also played 22 seasons all with the Yomiuri Giants. And Ichiro's 4,367 career hits should be the record over Rose 4,256 hits.

[@rainbowhouse3427]

I’ve been saying it to people, he is a totally different hitter this season. He’s more patient and before he could not battle with pitchers now he can, and he doesn’t chase that much anymore. He strikes out less and before he struggled with breaking pitches now he doesn’t. I don’t think this is even his final form this season.

[@anthonyfam5469]

Don’t forget, he also has the lowest batting average this year with RISP in his career. I’m an Ohtani fan, but don’t talk about the good and leave out the bad. I hope he turns it around before playoffs though.

[@LL-tc1re]

@@anthonyfam5469 I think it evens out over the season. His historical numbers are better and when he got hot there were less people on base (bottom of lineup sucks) and Mookie cooled off a little to how he started. I also do not think he is in final strength and form yet either since his surgically repaired arm is still rehabbing and has a sleeve and brace.

[@abcdeeer]

@@anthonyfam5469 fair but its still only april. maybe if this was all star break then it would be something to start worrying about

[@rightersbloc]

@@anthonyfam5469 I think that will change when Freeman gets going...with runners in scoring position, they are pitching around him and he is chasing...is why Roberts told him to be more patient

[@user-nv6ft6vj7p]

@@anthonyfam5469his expected batting average adjusted for babip is around 280 so think it’s got to do more with bad luck so far

[@Galactic123]

Even if Ohtani were to retire today, you wouldn't be able to tell the story of baseball without talking about him.

[@buddhavaro]

Ohtani will still make the hall of fame if he retires tomorrow.

[@user-si3fe2be4t]

I want him to stay healthy.

[@adammiller8597]

Shouldn't even be playing if it wasnt for his boy taking the fall

[@user-cl7ty6ur5q]

GOAT OHTANI.

[@zt1239]

I didn't notice the catcher's head drop but I did notice the outfielder didn't budge AT ALL. They all knew it was a homer! 😄

[@user-cl7ty6ur5q]

OHTANI is the GOAT.

[@dougphamtexas2707]

HALL OF FAMER for sure...2 way player ??? come on....MVP too ??? come now...

[@brianchar-bow3273]

Why do Otani's batted balls fly so far despite his seemingly light swing? Ohtani's hitting form looks quite different from that of many other major leaguers who swing with the power of their upper arms. Ohtani's swing form is unique in that there is not much power in his upper arms or upper body. The three characteristics of Ohtani's swing are what we see. (1) Natural dynamic vision to see the movement of the ball, (2) A stable and smooth swing trajectory that does not shake his body axis due to his overwhelming strength of his torso, lower body, legs, and hips, (3) Instantly finds the best timing for hitting the ball and captures the timing with certainty. These three things are performed with a big body that has been trained through diet and training for the past 10 years. As a result, he can hit a moving ball as far with a steady and efficient swing as if it were a driver shot of a stationary golf ball. Ohtani's hitting style is characterized by his ability to instantly find the optimal sweet spot for a pitch coming into the hitting zone, and to ensure that he hits the ball just right. His swing appears stable, smooth, and unshakeable, with no effort until the follow-through, when he captures the best timing to ensure that he hits the ball at the right moment. Despite this, the ball flies a long way. This is because the power generated by the swing trajectory is efficiently concentrated on a single point on the ball without waste and converted into the ball's flying power. Ohtani is able to hit the ball this way because, first, he has an unshakeable torso axis and strong legs and lower body, and second, he has good dynamic vision, which is the reason for his excellent pitch selection.（His good eye for the ball, which is the result of his natural dynamic vision.） He trains not only his upper body but also his lower body intensively, so that his legs and back, core, and axis are stable when he swings, and his body does not shake with the force of the swing. This is due to the strength of his well-trained legs and back muscles. If we compare Shohei Ohtani's swing with that of other sluggers, focusing on the relationship between the upper and lower body, we can see a significant difference during the swing. Many players swing with their upper bodies with great force and hit the ball, but when they follow through, their lower bodies, which are supported by an open stride, are defeated by the rotational force of the swing of the upper body, which has a longer trajectory than the stride, and in many cases their feet flop or their lower bodies are jolted by the swing. However, when looking at the follow-through of Otani's swing after hitting a just-meet shot, the lower body hardly swings at all, and the body axis remains stable, smooth, and clean. Naturally, like other hitters, Otani's upper arm movement should be greater and stronger than that of his lower body, but the overwhelming muscular strength of his lower body, including the length of his legs, absorbs and supports the impact of the swing trajectory of his upper body. When we compare the upper and lower body movements, we see that his lower body strength overwhelmingly outweighs his upper body strength. This is what seems to mechanically affect the distance of the ball when Ohtani hits it. (Ohtani: lower body strength >= upper body swing, other hitters: upper body swing >= lower body) In his case, being a pitcher from a young age may have contributed to the strength of his torso and legs and back. To reduce the burden on their overworked arms and shoulders, pitchers intentionally focus on training to strengthen the lower body, including the legs and hips, which stabilize the trunk and axis. In his case, more than 10 years of training as a pitcher since his boyhood may have formed his overwhelming core stability and leg and hip strength, and may have had a positive effect on his hitting form. If so, this may be the result of his pursuit of becoming a pitcher and hitter at the same time, a dual role that is very difficult to achieve. Another factor that may have contributed to his hitting is the way Japanese high school baseball education is conducted. Japanese high school baseball hitting instruction often adopts the "meat hitting" method. The bodies of Japanese high school students are often thin and without muscle strength, as they have not yet fully matured. In teaching these skinny and weak students to hit the ball, they often teach them to hit the ball at the best time, rather than hitting it with their upper arm strength. In other words, they teach them the "meat hitting" method, in which the ball is surely caught at the sweet spot and sent flying far away by its repulsive force. This approach is similar to the swing theory of hitting long shots in golf. In other words, this method has much in common with the theory of hitting the ball on the club's sweet spot and converting the acceleration of the club head into the force of the ball's flight with a stable swing trajectory that does not sway the axis. In Japanese youth baseball, a coach often uses this phrase when coaching skinny, ineffective players, "Don't swing hard for home runs. Aim for a single hit first, and think that a home run is an accidental extension of a single hit (when the conditions are right). The important thing is to hit the ball with a high probability of catching the center of the ball and making sure you hit it." He is now putting these theories into practice in the MLB with a body much larger than that of the average Japanese boy, which he has built up through self-discipline.

[@littlesame]

He’s very intentional when he position himself through the swing

[@diciannove1100]

Dude at this point you should get your comment peer reviewed.

[@brianchar-bow3273]

@@diciannove1100 Thanks for your reply.

[@jasonhikida7731]

Goatani. Great segment btw, would have been perfect if he’d acknowledged ohtani as a hof

[@joksal9108]

Betts should’ve won the MVP last year. Slightly higher WAR than Acuña, plus positional versatility that WAR can’t account for.

[@bestthemudafuckin]

facts

[@annabellegardner2273]

Mookie got robbed last year for sure

[@bizzz.R]

The way Mark talks about Ohtani... Like a Poet.

[@dunnbrandon]

The loud clean pop sound shohei’s bat makes contact with the ball just rings different

[@ProdigalExplorer]

His batting stance and swing is a thing of beauty. THE STANDARD period.

[@dampiere]

A perfect baseball show would be DeRo explaining Sho doing Ohtani things weekly. I would not miss an episode.

[@aznpanda510x]

I just want to say I love this dude, when he talk about Ohtani it simplify the artistry.

[@emiliomarrero7587]

Goat

[@christophercampbell2929]

I miss the old Ramirez/Big Papi Red Sox teams. Not a Red Sox fan, but every time I play MLB the Show I always try to make a modern day version of that team in franchise mode. Energetic leadoff guy, Righty-Lefty 1-2 punch in the middle, prime ace and aging vet at the head of the rotation, base stealer off the bench, veteran catcher and a bunch of middle of the pack vets to round out the positions.

[@noname-dk7ri]

He accomplishes his work quietly, like a ninja.

[@sithman5000]

You know when you look back in history and you look at the numbers of some of baseballs greats like babe, hank, Roger, Ted and you wonder what it would have looked like to see them in action, in 70 years you're either going to be looking back fondly as you remember what you witnessed this season or in regret because you missed it.

[@surfwriter8461]

Regarding Ohtani and the Hall of Fame, DeRosa plays cute but then says the word "longevity" as a qualifier. Forget longevity. Ohtani is a once in the sport player who has already given us three years of superior two-way performance and two MVPs (deserved a third) as a top-tier hitter and pitcher at the same time. Longevity is for players who excel at one thing and must be compared with others who did the same over the course of the MLB history. Ohtani is special, and longevity isn't required to qualify his HoF candidacy. I say reserve his own room in the Hall now, regardless of what follows.

[@amanomana]

Wow😊😍

[@TheBlackWaltz]

Ohtani's swing works for him because he's ao strong and has such insane batspeed. When he whiffs while doing a full swing, its hilarious. He nearly falls over sometimes and loses his helmet. Babe Ruth had a similar thing going on. Guys who can generate that much power can skip the leg kick. That extra power isn't needed. Stanton did a similar thing when he hit 59 hr. He simplified his swing and just relied on his natural brute strength.

[@spencermackay9020]

There it is.. run that back.. there you go right there, that's it.

[@billger5710]

Like Teofilo Stevenson or Usain Bolt, Shohei is an amazing specimen of an athlete.

[@pa-dutch-korean9678]

Teacherman going to make a video about this one!

[@caseyjones815]

MEANWHILE IS SHOHEI’s MIND: “WHAT’D I’D DO?” I’M JUST PLAYING AND HAVING FUN😂

[@littlesame]

He’s a future HOF now and not all HOFs had multi WS, don’t raise the bar because you don’t wish him to be a HOF.

[@makearunat]

"Here's the stats on how awesome he is at bat oh and before I go he's also a great pitcher"

[@lovedavantlamour301]

I think shohei should transition into some kind of long or short relief role on account of the fact that the increased productivity we have seen from him so far may be on account of the fact that he is not worried about getting his body ready to throw 100+ pitches every 6th day .

[@amanomana]

He devotes all his 24 hours on baseball❗️

[@nicholaslouie7590]

Simple is best

[@user-dt6fh3hu9w]

He is a pitcher in rehabilitation.

[@wr7416]

🦄

[@awnyca4077]

Ohtani is going for Bond 762 hr record

[@user-cv2bm4jz4v]

Matthew Robinson knows nothing... Shohei has higest BA most doubles and in top 3 of OPS

[@craigwheeler4760]

Ok, about the Hall of Fame talk: The Criteria of a HOF player should take into consideration : "can the story of the game be told without me?" The History of MLB cannot be told without the first player to have multiple full seasons hitting and pitching at the same time. That is a fact! So, if Babe Ruth, the first player to do this, is in the HOF, then the 2nd player ever, and the first in the modern integration era to do so should also be in the hall of fame. Of course it isn't that simple, but being 50% better than the league at hitting and pitching simultaneously for 3-4 full seasons is a strong HOF case (on the historic importance to the game).

[@henrixii1614]

Lead the avg with a recovering arm

[@bevelxx5839]

we call him Godzilla+1.0

[@wholewheaties]

Inflation will be the only reason why someone else other than Ohtani will get 700M in the future.

[@robertotani6681]

Why is there a timeframe for hall of fame only for shohei?

[@trevortamboline279]

The Unicorn...

[@aznpanda510x]

I see Ohtani I clicked

[@alexsakon]

Since he only needs to concentrate on batting this year it may be too easy for him😂

[@nmc400]

Pitcher btw.

[@alphastorm88]

He can quit today and wait for someone to vote him into the hall of fame years later.

[@manciti4709]

ohtani needs to return as a relief pitcher to maintain longevity as a 2-way player...dodgers desperately need help in bull-pen anyways

[@calebethebeast5254]

Maybe down the line he’ll consider that… I mean he did close out the 9th inning WBC last year🤷‍♂️

[@cindymmm11]

Next year. Let him recover from surgery

[@samurai_8917]

i think he would do well in a long relief/setup/high leverage guy once hes healthy. He really can do anything he wants lol

[@rittlethrone]

or as an opener

[@johnchieze530]

ohtani must play 10 full years to qualify for the hof, says cooperstown. then when you consider that godzilla has a w.s. ring and series mvp -ohtani is not hall of famer

[@matthewrobinson763]

His swing is embarrassing. I’ve never seen any MLB player constantly swinging out of his shoes like he does. When he’s at the plate, he swings at almost everything and is trying to hit the ball 500 feet. The guys plays like a little leaguer.

[@jedidazed3390]

the little leaguer happens to be the best bat so far this season

[@jon9394]

Sometimes his swing is too wild when hes aiming for the moon I agree. And he doesnt keep his head on the ball like freddie does. BUT: his results and numbers tell me whatever hes doing. Its working. So nobody can say shit.

[@TheAnonapersons]

​@@zhc2200yankee fan

[@rittlethrone]

so you are saying hitting like a little leaguer is all it takes to be the best player in the MLB. Got ittt

[@vic-zv4bb]

i wish i was little leaguer with 700m deal got it

[@NinjaSquirrel30]

Ohtani is HIM 🇯🇵 ⚾ Keep up good analysis MLB Network, & can we get some 4K to us fans its 2024 @MLB KZbin account

[@user-ko3yx4on8h]

この番組大好きなのですが、日本語字幕（この番組を日本語字幕で動画をアップしているユーチューブ動画を見ています）を是非にもつけて放送してほしいですね！