Shohei Ohtani throws the fastest pitch of his MLB career as Dodgers star continues to ramp up his pitching

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani threw the hardest pitch of his MLB career in Saturday’s start against the Kansas City Royals (a 9-5 loss). Ohtani uncorked a 101.7 mph fastball on an 0-2 count against Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, with Pasquantino pulling the ball to second base for an inning-ending double play.

Here’s a look at pitch in question:

Ohtani’s previous career high was 101.4 mph, established back in September 2022. Saturday’s pitch was the 11th time he’s cleared the 101 mph threshold. Here’s a list of those:

Pasquantino, by the way, enjoyed the last laugh. He would go on to drive in five runs on the day, including three on a fifth-inning home run that opened up a 5-0 lead for Kansas City. (He also reacted to Ohtani’s career-high velocity on social media.) 

Ohtani, 31 in a week, allowed a hit and a walk over two scoreless innings. He also struck out one of the seven batters he faced. Offensively, Ohtani led off and served as the Dodgers’ designated hitter, going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the process.

Ohtani has now made three starts since returning from elbow surgery, though it would be reasonable to describe them as “opens.” He’s tallied four innings overall, yielding one run on three hits and a walk. He’s punched out three batters. Simultaneously, Ohtani has hit .291/.392/.641 (186 OPS+) with 29 home runs and 11 stolen bases on the year. His contributions have been worth an estimated 4.1 Wins Above Replacement, according to the calculations housed at Baseball Reference.

The Dodgers are now 52-32 on the season, putting them six games up in the National League West. The Royals, conversely, are 39-44 and 3 ½ games back of the third and final American League wild-card spot.