In today’s Major League Baseball, one of the most respected pitching metrics is the Quality Start (QS). A QS is recorded when a starting pitcher throws at least six innings and allows three earned runs or fewer.
Why is it valued? Because wins can be misleading.
A pitcher can allow just one run and still be charged with a loss if his team scores none. On the other hand, a pitcher can give up multiple runs and still earn a win if his team scores more.
In that sense, QS is often seen as a fairer measure of whether a pitcher “did his job.”
But for starting pitchers, wins still matter.
They are part of the identity of an ace.
In 2016, during his fourth season with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Ohtani found himself pitching well but not earning victories. Despite strong performances, the wins were not coming.
Even Ohtani admitted:
“Even when I pitched well, I couldn’t get wins. Starting pitchers naturally want wins, so I wondered what I was supposed to do about it.”
It was a rare moment of visible frustration.
The solution came from manager Hideki Kuriyama, who introduced what became known as “real two-way” usage — allowing Ohtani to both pitch and serve as a designated hitter in the same game.
The shift unlocked something.
That season, Ohtani was named to the Best Nine at both pitcher and designated hitter, led his team to a Japan Series championship, and won the Pacific League MVP award.
Wins may depend partly on circumstance.
But greatness depends on how a player responds when results do not match effort.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
Opening a Path, Crossing the Ocean: The True Story of Shohei Ohtani, p.231