Shohei Ohtani Fills Another Glaring Need for Angels

This past Friday, writing even before the actual start of winter (it’s still officially autumn!), this author nevertheless declared the Angels the winners of the offseason.

Their triumph in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes alone might have sealed that distinction, but last week the Angels also added Zack Cozart and Ian Kinsler. Earlier in the offseason, they extended Justin Upton. And for good measure, they signed former Braves prospect Kevin Maitan.

They’ve added a number of crucial wins — at a reasonable total cost — to propel themselves from the bubble of the projected standings to a Wild Card favorite.

The Angels have upgraded two infield positions, retained a slugging corner outfielder, and have added perhaps an ace pitcher. I touched on all this in the piece regarding the Angels from the end of last week. What I didn’t examine was another area of need the club has addressed thanks to Ohtani’s dual-threat status.

Not only did the Angels and Albert Pujols finish last in the American League in DH production last season (-2.0 WAR) and second to last in wRC+ (78), but the club also endured a platoon problem.

Eight of the team’s nine projected starting position players are right-handed. The majority of their reserve options are right-handed, too. Before accounting for Ohtani, the Angels project to have 83% plate appearances absorbed by right-handed hitters in 2018. Before accounting for Ohtani, the Angels are forecast to be the first team since at least 2002 to surpass 5,000 plate appearances by right-handed hitters. (For this analysis, I split the club’s switch-hitter plate appearances evenly between lefties and righties.) Even with Ohtani, the 2018 Angels might top FanGraphs’ splits leaderboards for most plate appearances by right-handed batters in a single season.

So Ohtani might be able to help at the top of the rotation and as a platoon bat.

What it means is that, when Ohtani is in the lineup as a hitter, it ought perhaps not just be tied to rest but to the handedness of the opposing pitcher.

In his last full NPB season, Ohtani produced a .300/.385/.564 slash line against right-handed pitching and finished seventh in the league with a 164 wRC+ against righties. (Of course, he was even better against lefties.) He produced a 12.8% walk and 27.5% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching.

There are questions, of course, about his strikeout rate and how his contact skills will translate. But the power (93 mph average exit velocity on fly balls, max of 111 mph last season) and plate discipline appear to be very real and capable of translating. By Clay Davenport’s methodology, Ohtani’s 2016 batting line translates to a 133 wRC+ in the majors. And Ohtani produced the aforementioned 2016 NPB slash line as a 21-year-old. Reason suggests he’s still improving as a hitter.

According to Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times, the Angels’ presentation to Ohtani included plans to get his bat into the lineup in a limited fashion.

That was included in the concepts the Angels presented to Ohtani, in laying out the entire 2018 slate and offering estimates of when he could pitch and hit. One plan called for him to alternate rest and designated-hitter days in between starts on the mound. Another plan would have him hit only once per starting cycle. Either way, he will not play the outfield.

“The plans they proposed to me were great, but it’s not automatic,” Ohtani said through interpreter Matt Hidaka. “It’s something we’re gonna have to discuss. I’m gonna talk to the team, and we’ll continue to cement whatever plan we go with.”

It appears Ohtani will not begin the season on a pace to bat more than 250 times. He reached that threshold only once over five years in Japan.

“A lot of what we can do with him is gonna be based on his input,” Eppler said, “and the people who’ve worked with him in the past.”

If the Angels’ plan is to employ Ohtani in a limited manner, such as 250 or fewer plate appearances, then they ought to maximize those opportunities — and that could mean they’d come as a left-handed platoon partner for Pujols at DH.

The Angels ranked near the bottom of the majors in platoon advantage last season and ranked 16th in wRC+ (98) against right-handed pitching.

Moreover, Ohtani could perhaps have his confidence enhanced by gaining the platoon advantage as often as possible as a major-league rookie, by appearing in as many favorable situations as possible.

Ohtani can be more than a novelty as a two-way player. He’s a potential top-of-the-rotation arm and left-handed platoon bat. No team needed two such roles filled more than the Angels, and they might just do it through one player.