Leave it to Shohei Ohtani to turn a routine batting practice session into a main event.
The Japanese ace/slugger has cemented his legacy as the game's greatest talent in this year's WBC, mashing opposition pitching while mystifying opposition batters to lead Japan to the cusp of the championship game.
Ahead of the Land of the Rising Sun's semifinals matchup with Mexico, Ohtani did what he always does, smoking ball after ball into the cheap seats.
MORE: Japan vs. Mexico live score, updates, highlights in WBC 2023 semifinal
It didn't matter that he stood underneath a hood, taking cuts at soft-tossed throws from one of his coaches. For fans at loanDepot Park, witnessing Ohtani's herculean effort at the plate — on multiple occasions he cleared the seats entirely — was like a fever dream.
So what else could they do but applaud?
MORE: Meet Japan's Rōki Sasaki, the 21-year-old set to become WBC star
They showered Ohtani in affection, upping their ante as the Japanese supernova went from rattling the ball toward the concourse to smack it into deepest reaches of the ballpark. We're talking video boards, second and third decks, places like that.
That's the sound of Shohei Ohtani hitting one off the video board above the second deck 🤯🔊
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 20, 2023
NTT #BallparkCam | #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/50cABHBL8f
Ohtani's power is prodigious. But this was Ruthian, the sort of thing you can only see to believe. And as smooth stroke after smooth stroke coincided with the deafening clanks of hollowed cowhide striking padded infrastructure, Ohtani showed that he's not just one of the many stars taking part in the World Baseball Classic. He is the star of the tournament.
Shohei Ohtani is READY for tonight's game 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/ykmm9vITDM
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 20, 2023
If he needed anymore evidence, he got it before making his way to the dugout. After depositing a host of pitches into the pink-light sky, Ohtani brought the house down, receiving a full ovation for his honors. It made for quite the image.
Three things I’ve never seen at loanDepot park that I saw in a matter of one Shohei Ohtani BP session.
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) March 20, 2023
1. Balls hitting the upper deck on a straight line
2. Balls hitting the scoreboard in center (never seen one close)
3. A standing ovation for batting practice pic.twitter.com/9TJPZGI89A
Shotime puts butts in seats. He did so before a pitch was even thrown on Monday, making use of his lightning-quick bat speed to captivate the Miami faithful.
