PHILADELPHIA – As the Philadelphia Phillies prepare to face Shohei Ohtani in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, advice from a former Phillies executive stresses the importance of aggressive early-count hitting. Ruben Amaro, former Phillies general manager and current broadcaster, believes Philadelphia batters must attack Ohtani early to avoid falling behind in the count and facing his full arsenal of six pitches.
Ohtani is making his return to pitching after missing last season recovering from elbow surgery. He became the first Major League player to start at least one game as a pitcher and one as a non-pitcher in a single postseason. In 2024, Ohtani led the los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series victory, also becoming the first MLB player with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.
This year, the Dodgers gradually increased Ohtani’s pitching workload, culminating in a six-inning outing on September 23. He finished the regular season with 62 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA in 47 innings pitched. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated Ohtani is now considered a “normal starting pitcher,” cleared to utilize his complete pitch repertoire, including a 100-mph fastball.
Amaro, appearing on The Phillies Show, emphasized the need to be aggressive. “If I’m facing him, I’m looking for a fastball or something that’s up in the zone,” Amaro said. “I’m going to have to be aggressive on it early, because if you get to two strikes, you’re talking about six different pitches and you can’t eliminate anything, and you’re just looking for the baseball.” He also advised Phillies hitters to “distinguish hittable pitches from non-hittable pitches,” referencing Ohtani’s five hitless innings against philadelphia on September 16.
Amaro highlighted the potential impact of the Phillies’ home crowd, described as “one of the loudest in sports,” believing thier energy could influence the game.