Before radar guns became standard, the fastest pitchers were subjects of legend and debate. In 1970s Japan, unofficial reports of 155 km/h were astonishing. For decades, 150 km/h was elite. Most professional pitchers averaged in the low-to-mid 140s.
Velocity defined rarity.
Then came Shohei Ohtani.
As a high school pitcher in 2012, he broke the 160 km/h barrier in official games. It wasn’t just impressive — it was historic. In 2016, he recorded 165 km/h, the fastest pitch in NPB history.
But something unexpected happened.
“Unless I threw over 160 km/h, the crowd wouldn’t even applaud.”
Excellence had recalibrated expectation.
When you repeatedly redefine the ceiling, the ceiling stops feeling extraordinary.
Yet Ohtani didn’t resent it. He understood something larger.
“Someday, that speed will become normal.”
Barriers do not stay barriers once someone crosses them. What is unthinkable today becomes routine tomorrow.
He knew velocity alone would never be enough. Pitching is more than speed. Command, movement, timing — these endure.
But he also recognized his role in shifting the standard.
Pioneers don’t just perform.
They normalize the impossible.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Chasing Shohei Ohtani: A Beat Reporter’s 10-Year Chronicle, p.44