Shohei Ohtani 'Went from Dominant to Unhittable,' Says Angels' Mike Trout

After recording the final out of the World Baseball Classic last week, Shohei Ohtani started the 2023 MLB season on a high note with 10 strikeouts in six shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night.

Mike Trout singled out one moment in the fourth inning when Ohtani worked his way out of trouble by striking out Jesus Aguilar and Ramon Laureano with runners on second and third.

"That sequence right there," Trout told reporters. "He went from dominant to unhittable."

Ohtani also went 1-for-3 with one walk at the plate. He didn't have his best command on the mound with three walks and 38 balls on 93 pitches, but he overcame it because his stuff is so overpowering.

The 2021 American League MVP added a new wrinkle to his game by calling his own pitches.

Angels manager Phil Nevin explained before the game Ohtani has "so many pitches he can throw" that to help combat the time constraints from the new pitch clock, it was easier for him to use the PitchCom device to get the call in to the catcher.

Of course, for all the good vibes from Ohtani's individual performance, the outcome of the game was more of the same for the Angels. They were unable to provide him with any run support in a 2-1 loss to Oakland.

It's only the first game, but there is going to be a lot of attention on Los Angeles with Ohtani set to become a free agent next winter. Another disappointing season could force Angels management to make a tough decision ahead of the trade deadline this summer.