Before unleashing the hardest home run of his MLB career, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani showcased remarkable discipline at the plate. Against the Washington Nationals, Ohtani resisted a tempting first-pitch fastball that missed the strike zone. This patience has been key to Ohtani’s recent dominance, which has seen him bat .424 with six home runs and 15 extra-base hits in the past 17 games.
On the subsequent pitch, Nationals reliever Matt Barnes served up a center-cut splitter that Ohtani punished with a thunderous swing. The ball soared 450 feet into the second deck of Nationals Park, sealing a 4-1 victory for the Dodgers.
According to MLB’s Statcast system, Ohtani’s home run had an exit velocity of 118.7 mph, the hardest hit in the current MLB season and of Ohtani’s entire seven-year MLB career. His physical gifts have been evident for years, but he has refined his mechanics to maximize his swing force. Ohtani consistently ranks among the top 10 in average exit velocity and leads all MLB hitters in batted balls of 95 mph or more this season.
Manager Dave Roberts attributed Ohtani’s success to his ability to control the strike zone and attack pitches in his preferred ‘nitro zone.’ He excels when ahead in the count, demonstrating his power with average exit velocities over 100 mph in favorable situations. Roberts has also noticed Ohtani’s progress in strike zone discipline, particularly with runners in scoring position. This improved approach has led to better walk-to-strikeout ratios and increased effectiveness at the plate.
Despite teams’ efforts to neutralize Ohtani, his adaptability has kept him a formidable force. Early in his career, pitchers attacked him up in the zone, but Ohtani has adjusted to close that window. This makes elevated pitches a less effective strategy against him.
Ohtani’s discipline and refined approach are central to his dominance at the plate. He controls the strike zone, maximizing his power and keeping opposing pitchers at bay. As Roberts noted, ‘When he does that, it’s hard to get him out.’
