Watching the best player in Major League Baseball in Shohei Ohtani is always a treat, but getting to see him take the mound and step into the batter's box was an added sweetener for Boston Red Sox fans Monday afternoon.
During the Patriots' Day matchup between the Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani took the mound for the rubber match, making his second career start at Fenway Park. But due to some hefty Boston precipitation, Ohtani was limited in a pitching role, tossing just two innings while going 2-for-5 at the plate with a pair of singles.
Nevertheless, after Los Angeles' 5-4 victory, the 2023 World Baseball Classic MVP and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent shared his stance on pitching at America's most beloved ballpark.
"It's one of my favorite parks," Ohtani told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "I always look forward to pitching here but I like the conditions that allow me to have fun fully. But other than that I always look forward to pitching here."
On May 5 of last season, Ohtani put on a clinic, striking out 11 Red Sox hitters while pitching seven scoreless innings in his Fenway Park debut on the mound.
Questions and answers alike are sure to raddle the online conspiracy theorists, but for now, Ohtani remains alongside Mike Trout on the West Coast. But it's also hard to blame them.
The Angels are a dumpster fire. They've failed Trout, who they drafted in 2009, surrounding him with a cast that's made just a single postseason appearance -- a three-game sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series. And so far, it's been a copy-and-paste type of story with Ohtani. The Angels have already missed the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons.
Needless to say, many fans and teams across the league would enjoy watching Ohtani pitch in their city even more.
The 28-year-old will officially become an unrestricted free agent following this season after earning $30 million this year with the Angels.
