Minasian, sitting in Tropicana Field's visiting dugout last weekend, said "I know that sounds crazy." "But anyone who has seen him play before, especially in Japan -- I'm sure this is different -- but the talent remains."
Yes, even at this level of talent.
Minasian said, "Seeing what've seen in past," Minasian reaffirmed, having spent many years scouting Ohtani before the Japanese two-way star arrived in the major leagues. "It doesn't surprise" me at all.
Ohtani, who hit two home runs in New York on Tuesday night, took the lead in major league baseball with 28, having scored 28 runs. He will be facing the Yankees on Wednesday night with a 2.58 earned run average. He is adding to his highlight reel almost every night like no one has seen in over 100 years.
Ohtani is no longer handicapped by injuries or mechanical inconsistencies. He has risen to the top both on All-Star voting lists as well as the American League's most-valuable-player list. The talent was always there, but the production is finally catching up.
Minasian stated, "Once you feel healthy, you feel like you belong here, and you have some confidence, things will start going well, and when you're that talented with this kind of makeup, there's no limit to what you can do."
Ohtani's batting average is.278 and his on-base plus-slugging percentage is 1.049. He has 82 strikeouts on the mound in just 59 1/3 innings. On the bases, he has 11 stolens and four triples.
This is all due to the tremendous improvement he made since the beginning of the season. These breakthroughs have transformed a seemingly impossible dream into a stunning reality.
These are five key points that have made this season his best yet.
