Shohei Ohtani is the best player in MLB right now. He hits at an elite level, can steal bases and is expected to return to pitching in 2025. Former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia received the opportunity to witness Ohtani's greatness early in the two-way phenom's career, as he was Ohtani's first MLB manager. With Team USA and Team Japan set to go head-to-head at the Premier12 presented by RAXUS, Scioscia, who is the Team USA manager, was asked about Ohtani.
“When I was with the Angels, we had Shohei for one season,” Scioscia told reporters, via Jon Morosi of MLB Network. “Then I retired. But in the recruiting process, there was no doubt he showed the confidence and physical ability to do what he’s doing (now).”
It may seem as if managing Ohtani in his first season would have made life easy for Scioscia. However, Ohtani had restrictions early in his MLB career.
“We had restrictions on Shohei the first year of when he could hit, when he could pitch just to get him acclimated to playing a season in the United States. And I think you could see as he got acclimated, he is doing what he has the potential to do. This is not a fluke. This guy is incredibly talented and he works hard at it.”
Mike Scioscia believed in Shohei Ohtani's potential
Ohtani recently led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series victory. Before he was making headlines with the Dodgers in the postseason, though, he played in Anaheim with the Angels.
Although Ohtani emerged as a superstar with the Angels, the ball club failed to reach the postseason during his time in Anaheim. In fact, the Halos have not reached the postseason since 2014. Scioscia is the most recent manager to lead the Angels to the playoffs.
Scioscia further discussed Ohtani's potential. He admitted that the Angels were not sure when it would all come together for Shohei Ohtani, but he knew the potential was undeniable.
“If you say, ‘did we foresee him doing this?' Absolutely,” Scioscia said. “When was going to happen? We weren't sure. We were limited in the beginning to make sure that he was pitching, getting his rest and then hitting. So yes, we saw his potential. And what he's doing, it's incredible.”
Scioscia's MLB career
Related Los Angeles Dodgers NewsArticle continues below
Scioscia was a catcher during his playing career with the Dodgers. He played for the team from 1980-1992, making two All-Star teams along the way. After walking away from the game as a player, Scioscia returned as a manager in 2000 with the Angels.
At the time, they were called the Anaheim Angels. Scioscia did not waste too much time before finding success, as the Halos won the World Series in 2002. That was the only championship he won in Anaheim but the Angels continued to play well for the most part through the 2014 season.
Scioscia would remain the Angels manager until 2018. He managed the ball club through ups and downs, three name changes (Anaheim Angels, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Angels) and a number of superstar additions. Scioscia was also Mike Trout's first manager. Of course, he got to see Shohei Ohtani play at the MLB level for the first time.
Ohtani is now with the Dodgers, and the Angels are still trying to find their way back to the postseason. Perhaps Ron Washington, who is well-respected around the league and took over the Angels manager job in 2024, can lead the ball club back to the playoffs.
