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Dodgers Reportedly 'Stunned' Over Latest Shohei Ohtani Development

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 3:23 PM ET

At some point, what Shohei Ohtani does just can't be discussed anymore. The designated hitter and right-handed pitcher is arguably one of the best players Major League Baseball has ever seen, and there's even a strong argument to be made that he's the most talented this game has ever seen.

Ohtani does it all, whether it be hitting for power, contact, stealing bases, or going on the mound and throwing nearly 102 mph.

During Ohtani’s start against the Kansas City Royals at the end of June, he touched 101.7 mph. It was the fastest pitch of his career, and according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Dodgers were “stunned” that he could throw that pitch as hard as he did.

"The Dodgers were stunned when he threw a 101.7 mph fastball, the fastest pitch of his career, during a recent start in Kansas City — it essentially came out of nowhere," Rosenthal wrote.

It almost sounds silly to say, but nothing should surprise the Dodgers anymore at this point.

Would it surprise many if Ohtani got on the mountain and touched 104?

All he’s done throughout his career is continue to break records, and if he continues on this trajectory, he'll do a lot more.

It's impressive that he threw the baseball as hard as he did in his last outing, but more importantly, Ohtani seems healthy.

It remains uncertain how much the Dodgers want to stretch him out on the mound, as they need to keep him healthy, but as long as he feels good after each start, they should take that as a win.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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