Angels Wise pitching coach talks about pitcher Ohtani “This year, the fastest sinker on the planet”
What is the evolution of Angels Shohei Ohtani pitcher? On the 3rd (Japan time 4th), Matt Wise, the pitching coach, responded to the press coverage before the match against the Athletics, and talked about the points of evolution. This season, he has pitched in 27 games with 15 wins and 8 losses, an ERA of 2.35, and marked career highs across the board with 213 strikeouts in 161 innings. For the Wise pitching coach, who has seen the pitching staff up close, what is great about the 2022 pitcher Otani?
First of all, Wise’s pitching coach focused on the existence of a new winning ball. From the second half of the game, the pitch was centered on a slider with a hit rate of 10%, and the high-speed sinker, which boasts an average of 97.3 miles (about 156.6 km) and the same speed as the four seams, became a big weapon from the match against the Mariners on August 15th. .
“Last season, he was one of the best starting pitchers in the major leagues with his strike-first pitching, and this year he added the fastest sinker on the planet. I’m happy.”
“Both pitches are his ideas. They have a unique feel, and if you want to add other breaking balls, you can add them freely. However, his chances of winning every time he pitches remain very high, and I give him my utmost praise for this.”
This season, his pitching form can be varied, such as changing the height of his right elbow when throwing a slider. It is said that this was inspired by the batter Otani.
“I think it’s difficult for hitters. You do the same thing with sliders and straights. There’s a reason for everything Shohei does. All I know is that I didn’t like it when I played him as a hitter. So you started doing the same thing as a pitcher.”
“My baseball IQ is the best I know. He knows what the hitters are going for and what needs to be fixed. He has great communication and can improve quickly with the catcher between innings and on the mound. ”
Wise’s pitching coach declared, “I’m not particularly worried” about the injury caused by changing the pitching form.
