Angels superstar makes odd MLB history unlikely to be matched

Given that Ohtani is baseball's only two-way player -- and that pitchers no longer hit for themselves -- his dubious feat isn't likely to be replicated anytime soon. There is a chance a position player could suffer the same fate if called upon to pitch in mop-up duty, but that might be a long shot with MLB's tightened rules. 

Ohtani's first violation occurred while on the mound in the first inning, facing Cal Raleigh. Behind in the count, Ohtani rebounded to strike Raleigh out, freezing the Mariners catcher with a 96-MPH four-seam fastball. 

Five innings later, Ohtani again found himself on the wrong end of the pitch clock, this time at the plate. Though, as he did on the mound, Ohtani turned a negative into a positive, forcing a walk on five pitches. 

Ohtani pitched six strong innings on Wednesday, allowing an earned run off three hits, walking four while striking out eight to notch his first win of the 2023 season. 

Meanwhile, Ohtani was also impactful with the bat, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks. 

If there was any player capable of committing two pitch-clock violations in a single game yet still coming out looking like a star, it's Ohtani. While others have vocally criticized baseball's new rules, Ohtani handled Wednesday with the coolness we've all come to expect. Though, Ohtani did ask for clarification from umpires following his first violation. 

Luckily for Ohtani, his botches on Wednesday won't be held against him in contract negotiations. Ohtani is playing on a one-year, $30 million deal this season with the Angels and is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. 

While teams prepare to bid on Ohtani, many predict the Japanese superstar could command $600 million or more on the open market.