Shohei Ohtani's brilliance might have been muted this year since he isn't pitching while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. However, his added focus on hitting has made him too loud to ignore at the plate, and that's why future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is having so much fun watching him every day.
Kershaw on Friday in an in-game interview with Apple TV broadcasters Wayne Randazzo and Dontrelle Willis talked about having Ohtani as a teammate. While he's having a good time watching Ohtani in a Dodgers uniform, it's the sound of his hitting that's his favorite part.
"I'm having a fun time watching him hit this year, though," Kershaw said. "It's been really fun to be able to watch him put all his energy into hitting. He's pretty good at it. It's just different. Every hitter says it's different. You see the exit (velocities) and how far he can hit a ball, for me it's just the sound. I think guys talk about some of the best hitters ever, just the sound is just different. He definitely falls into that category."
Kershaw also said Ohtani is coming along nicely in his recovery from elbow surgery.
The praise for Ohtani as a hitter doesn't come lightly from a player like Kershaw who has seen so many great players during his 17-year career. It's also helps define Ohtani's greatness that he's able to have a special, MVP-caliber season even without the pitching aspect of his game included.
