(DENVER) — Los Angeles Angels super star Shohei Ohtani will be the starting pitcher and bat lead-off as the designated hitter for the American League All-Star team Tuesday night, AL manager Kevin Cash announced Monday.
“This is what the fans want to see,” said the Tampa Bay Rays manager. “It’s personally what I want to see. And to have the opportunity to do something that’s a generational talent is pretty special. I begged Major League Baseball to tweak the rule for [the] game, because if they didn’t, I know I’d screw it up the rest of the way, pulling pinch-hitters and DHs.”
Ohtani was voted in as the designated hitter by the fans and was voted as one of five pitchers by the players.
As a pitcher, he has 3.49 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 35 walks in 67 innings. At the plate, Ohtani is hitting .279 with 33 home runs, a record for a Japanese-born player and 70 Rbis.
I was actually not expecting to be chosen as a pitcher at all,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “But to be named the starter, I was really not expecting that at all. But it’s a huge honor and I’m going to try my best.”
Ohtani is participating in Monday nights home-run derby.
Washington starting pitcher Maz Scherzer gets the start for the National League.
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