Wicked “Sweeper” Makes Los Angeles Angels’Starter Shohei Ohtani Even More Impressive

It is rare when Major League Baseball pitchers come up with a new, different type of pitch.

The “sweeper” is the newest, hottest pitch in the game.

The “sweeper” pitch is a traditional slider with more horizontal break. Some analysts characterize the “sweeper” as a tight slider with “Frisbee-like” horizontal movement.

A slider is a pitch that is released off the index finger. It induces lateral spin, and is intended to break away from the barrel of the bat. A slider generally has some downward movement, and the batter has a tendency to swing over the pitch.

A curveball is a pitch that is released off the middle finger, with the pitcher forcing his wrist downward—or yanking his wrist—at the point of delivery. The middle and index finger are pressed together directly on the seam of the ball. The middle finger is prominent in the release of the pitch.

A “sweeper” moves more than a traditional slider. While a slider may move 6-10 inches in horizontal break, a “sweeper” moves more like 15 inches or more in horizontal break. A “sweeper” moves more across than up and down.

Shohei Ohtani and the “Sweeper”:

Los Angeles Angels right-handed starter/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is off to an incredible start to the new season.

At the end of play April 12, Ohtani was hitting .300/.404/.575/.979 with two doubles and three home runs in his 47 plate appearances as the Angels primary designated hitter. He has struck out 14 times. So far, he has not stolen a base.

On the mound, Ohtani has looked like a Cy Young Award winning pitcher.

As if he needed another pitch to dominate hitters, Ohtani has been using his incredible “sweeper” to torment the opposition.

Ohtani has made three starts for the Angels. Here are his results:

March 30-against the Oakland Athletics

6 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts

The team lost, and Ohtani did not get a decision.

April 5-against the Seattle Mariners

6 innings, 3 hits, 1 run (earned), 4 walks, 8 strikeouts

The team won, and Ohtani got the win.

April 11-against the Washington Nationals

7 innings, 1 hit, no runs, 5 walks, 6 strikeouts

The team won, and Ohtani got the win.

Totals: 19 innings pitched, 6 hits, 1 run (earned), 12 walks, 24 strikeouts, 2 wins

MLB.com indicates, “Ohtani throws more sweepers than anyone.”

In fact, as MLB.com points out, it was Ohtani’s “sweeper” in the World Baseball Classic championship game that Ohtani used to strike out his Angels teammate, Mike Trout. The pitch ended the game. That “sweeper” was listed at 87 miles per hour, with a 17-inch break.

Ohtani’s “sweeper” statistics and slider statistics are generally combined on sites like Fangraphs and BrooksBaseball.

Ohtani is credited throwing his “sweeper”/slider on 52% of his pitches.

He has thrown his four seam fastball roughly 21% of the time, and his sinker on 11% of his pitches.

Bottom line? He throws that sweeping slider more than his fastballs.

His four-seam fastball generally sits between 96-97 miles per hour.

His sinking, two-seamer sits at 93-94 miles per hour.

The rest of Ohtani’s offerings are mixed between a curve, a cutter, and his split-finger pitch.

Interestingly, Ohtani used to throw his sinking, split-finger pitch much more often. He throws that pitch only 4% of the time, compared to 27% of the time in September 2021, and 17% of the time in June of 2022. The change in his repertoire and the frequency of his offerings is dramatic.

To this writer, Ohtani has the best “sweeper” in Major League Baseball. It is a wicked pitch with both high velocity and high spin.

There are others who have mastered the pitch. They are becoming too numerous to quantify.

But Corey Kluber immediately comes to mind. Currently pitching for the Boston Red Sox, Kluber is a huge proponent of the pitch. He uses it very effectively. And like Ohtani, Kluber relies on the pitch to induce swings and misses.

Kluber can likely extend his career a bit if he continues to use the pitch without injury.

Ohtani’s Future:

Ohtani is working on the final year of his Angels contract. He is making $30 million this year, and is eligible for free agency if the Angels do not extend his current contract.

Sources tell this writer the San Diego Padres will be aggressive in their pursuit of Ohtani if he reaches free agency.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are another team expected to bid for Ohtani’s services if the Angels fail to come to terms that will keep Ohtani in Anaheim.

And of course, with a player of Ohtani’s multiple talents on both sides of the ball, it wouldn’t surprise if a team with the financial resources like the New York Mets would let Ohtani sign with another team if money is the determining factor.

For now, unless he is traded at some point in this season, Shohei Ohtani will continue to bring the Los Angeles Angels a brilliant arsenal of pitches that he can command and control with efficiency.

Chief among his repertoire is his newly refined “sweeper” pitch-a refinement of his wicked slider, but with even more bite.