Since becoming a professional player, Shohei Ohtani has, in most cases, delivered results that exceeded expectations. However, his final season with the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2017 and his third season with the Angels in 2020 were both frustrating years for him.

Among them, 2020 stood out as a season Ohtani himself described as “pathetic.” It was his second year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made only two pitching appearances, finishing with a 0–1 record and an ERA of 37.80. As a batter, he hit seven home runs but posted a .190 average—his first time falling below .200 since turning professional.

By September, his struggles were so severe that he sometimes remained on the bench.

During this period, Ohtani felt that he was not contributing to the team and reflected on it by saying:

“I couldn’t do anything, and that frustration was the hardest part for me.”

That year was also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shortened the season. To avoid close contact among players and staff, access to in-game video review was restricted.

Until then, Ohtani had made it a habit to check his swing on video after each at-bat, and losing that routine may have had an impact on his performance.

After experiencing such an extreme slump, Ohtani concluded the season by saying that he had found “many things to work on during the offseason,” and he set out to address those challenges.

The following year, he responded with remarkable results—nine wins as a pitcher and 46 home runs as a hitter.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Sho-Time: Shohei Ohtani, the Man Who Changed 120 Years of Major League History, p.195