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Baltimore Orioles vs Los Angeles Angels: 5 players to watch

By Sam Belden

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Dylan Bundy #37 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 26, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Dylan Bundy #37 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 26, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Orioles
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 27: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim watches the ball leave the park for a solo homerun on his way to first base in the second inning during the MLB game against the New York Yankees at Angel Stadium on April 27, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

Shohei Ohtani, DH/RHP

He may have been scratched from his Tuesday start due to an ankle sprain, but a chance to watch everyone’s favorite two-way phenom at the plate should still be thrilling enough. Forty-seven plate appearances into his MLB career, Shohei Ohtani is much more than a gimmick — he’s a legitimate power threat.

With a .341/.383/.682 slash line and 4 home runs, the 23-year-old has already made good on his tantalizing potential. Aside from Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons, the Angels don’t have a single qualified player with a league-average OPS+, making Ohtani’s contributions as a DH all the more valuable.

Check out this big fly from last week, off of Luis Severino no less:

Looking ahead to this week, it would be awfully nice if the Orioles had a lefty in their rotation. Twelve games into his career, Ohtani is already sporting a serious split: .406/.441/.875 against righties, but just .167/.231/.167 against southpaws. Buck Showalter may have to look to Richard Bleier to provide shutdown work in the later innings — as if that hasn’t been happening already.

No matter how you feel about his future as a player, Orioles fans should get excited to watch Ohtani swing the bat this week. Even going beyond the novelty aspect, he’s one of the best hitters in Los Angeles.

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