Shohei Ohtani makes strong first-inning impression on Yankees

One-hundred years to the day after Babe Ruth opened Yankee Stadium with a home run, the closest thing to The Babe – Shohei Ohtani – homered in his first at-bat against the Yankees in the Bronx on Tuesday night.

Ohtani launched a 2-and-0 pitch from Clarke Schmidt into the Yankees’ bullpen in right-centerfield to give the Angels a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The blast left Ohtani’s bat at 116.7 miles per hour and traveled 391 feet.

Ruth was a great pitcher before he switched to hitting full-time and became baseball’s greatest slugger. Ohtani is a great pitcher and is one of baseball’s greatest sluggers at the same time.  

It’s why every visit Ohtani makes to New York is an event. Tuesday was his 11th game at Yankee Stadium. The home run was his fourth in the Bronx and eighth in 18 games overall against the Yankees.

Ohtani, who is a free agent at season’s end, has never played at Citi Field. The Angels are scheduled to visit the Mets on Aug. 25-27. But Ohtani may not be on the Angels at that time since he is a prime candidate to be traded before the Aug. 1 deadline if Los Angeles is not in playoff contention.  

The Yankees and Mets would certainly be interested suitors for Ohtani’s services either in a trade this season or when he becomes a free agent after it. But that’s a thought for a future day.

For Tuesday, the thought was about the Yankee Stadium crowd getting to see Ohtani take his hacks on a chilly, windy night.

Ohtani took one round of batting practice on the field before the game, which is not his usual practice (he usually hits inside).  

With only a handful of fans in the stands, the lefthanded batter hit a home run to dead center that may still be traveling.

Ohtani had not had much success in the Bronx with the exception of a two-home run game on June 29, 2021. Overall, he went into Tuesday 5-for-36 (.139) at Yankee Stadium.

Ohtani will not pitch in this three-game series as he started Monday’s game in Boston. He went only two innings before a long rain delay ended his day on the mound, but not at the plate. That’s because of a special “Ohtani rule” that was enacted for him in 2022 in which a DH who is also the starting pitcher can stay in the game as the DH even after he is no longer pitching.

In theory, the rule applies to every pitcher who is also a designated hitter. But since Ohtani is the only one, the rule has never been utilized by any other major leaguer.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone attempted to put a novel spin on Ohtani when he was asked how to put into words what the 28-year-old is doing. Boone mentioned Ohtani’s speed on the bases.

“I think that's the last thing you talk about and you watch him get down the line and you’re like, ‘Oh and he’s the fastest guy out there,’ “ Boone said. “It's amazing what he's doing. It really, really is. I know it's been said every which way, of course, and how people marvel at him, rightfully so. What he's doing on the mound, in the batter's box, and then you add the speed element. Just a special talent that maybe we've never seen and maybe never will again.”

Ohtani’s exploits almost make you forget the Angels also have Mike Trout on the roster. Trout, who hits behind Ohtani, went into Tuesday as a career .326 hitter at Yankee Stadium with seven home runs in 23 games.

By Anthony Rieber

anthony.rieber@newsday.comAnthonyRieber

Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.