Shohei Ohtani Being Named Angels Opening Day Starter 'Feels Right,' Joe Maddon Says

The Los Angeles Angels won't waste any time making use of Shohei Ohtani's two-way skills this season. 

Angels manager Joe Maddon told reporters Friday that the reigning American League MVP will be their starting pitcher on Opening Day. 

"It just tastes right, feels right, is right," Maddon said.

A quick scan of Los Angeles' pitching depth chart strongly pointed to Ohtani being the best choice to start the first game. 

The other options currently on the roster are Noah Syndergaard and Patrick Sandoval. Syndergaard has thrown a total of two innings in the past two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2020. 

Sandoval had a solid 2021 with a 3.62 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 87 innings, but he didn't pitch after Aug. 13 due to a stress fracture in his back. 

Ohtani was fantastic on the mound in 23 starts last season. The 27-year-old had a 3.18 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 156 strikeouts in 130.1 innings. From July 6 through the end of the year, he averaged 6.4 innings per start. He tossed a career-high eight innings on Sept. 19 in a 3-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics. 

Major League Baseball has made it easier for the Angels to take full advantage of Ohtani's rare skill set.

The league and MLB Players Association agreed to several rule changes for this season, including one that allows for a starting pitcher to remain in the lineup as the designated hitter when they are removed from the game as a pitcher. 

Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP last season. The Japanese sensation led all MLB players with a combined 8.1 FanGraphs wins above replacement between his hitting and pitching stats. He hit .257/.372/.592 with 46 homers, 100 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 158 games. 

The Angels will host the reigning AL champion Houston Astros at Angel Stadium on April 7 at 9:38 p.m. ET.