The 2024 season was a historic one for Shohei Ohtani—

a year filled with records that clearly demonstrated he was at the peak of his abilities as a hitter.

At the same time, one phrase was often repeated when people talked about his performance:

“He’s actually a pitcher in rehab.”

Ohtani was officially registered as a pitcher and was still in the process of recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2023.

Being in rehabilitation typically comes with strict limitations—not only on pitching, but also on hitting.

So how was he able to perform at such an extraordinary level under those constraints?

Perhaps the answer lies in his past experience.

After his first Tommy John surgery, during the 2018–2019 period, Ohtani returned to game action as a designated hitter on May 7.

At that time, he described his condition like this:

“In terms of timing, it feels like it’s still December or January.

As for swing volume, I’ve only taken about as many swings as I normally would have by late November.

Trying to reach late-March form with that limited amount was difficult.”

Building game-ready timing under such restrictions was not easy,

and he likely felt a lack of sufficient practice.

Even so, he also said:

“Figuring out how to develop that feeling in a short period and with limited reps—that in itself is a valuable experience.”

That experience—learning how to adapt and optimize within limitations—

may have played a significant role in his remarkable 2024 season.

Source

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

Number 980, p.17