One of the things that consistently amazes people about Shohei Ohtani’s home runs is their extraordinary distance.
Balls that initially look like routine fly outs often carry all the way into the stands, and at times even players and managers are left saying they have never seen a ball travel that far.
While playing for the Mizusawa Little League, Ohtani participated in a tournament held in 2006 that brought together six teams from the Tohoku region.
Before the main games, a home run derby was held. One player from each team took part, each given fifteen swings to clear a 70-meter fence set up in the outfield.
At the time, five first-year middle school players managed only one or two home runs despite swinging with full force.
Ohtani, then a sixth grader in elementary school, hit an astonishing eleven, winning decisively.
Even in practice, his power stood out.
At the Mizusawa Little League field, balls — each costing 800 yen — would sometimes fly all the way into the river beyond right field, leading coaches to warn him not to pull the ball so much.
As a result, Ohtani developed the ability, which he still shows today, to hit home runs not only to right field but also to left.
With his strong focus on distance, he has openly said that for children, it’s perfectly fine to swing with the sole goal of hitting the ball as far as possible.
Hitting the ball far is simply fun — both for the one swinging the bat and for those watching, wondering just how far it went.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Shohei Ohtani: Baseball Soaring Years II – MLB 2018–2024, Long Interview, p.106