One of Shohei Ohtani’s most remarkable traits as a hitter is his ability to turn what looks like a weak or mistimed swing into a home run.

There are many moments when a pitcher believes they have successfully jammed him—only to watch the ball carry over the fence.

To most hitters, being jammed typically results in a weak fly ball or an easy out.

But Ohtani sees it differently.

“I like hitting home runs when I’m jammed. Whether it goes to left or right field, I want to catch the ball as close to my body as possible—even if it looks like I’ve been jammed.”

From a technical perspective, hitting a home run from such a position requires exceptional bat speed.

The closer the contact point is to the body, the more difficult it becomes to generate power—unless the swing is fast enough to compensate.

For Ohtani, this is not a flaw in timing—it is a demonstration of capability.

If he can drive the ball even when jammed, it means he has multiple points of contact where he can produce power.

In other words, he expands his hitting zone.

This ability gives him a significant advantage:

He doesn’t rely on perfect timing.

He creates power across a wider range of situations.

And that is one of the reasons he is able to consistently hit home runs at an elite level.

Source

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

Shohei Ohtani Feature, Number 980, p.19