Angels' Ohtani Thinks 2022 Baseballs Aren't Juiced Like Last Season

If anyone knows the full effects a baseball can have on both sides of the game it would be Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani. The 'Babe Ruth 2.0' is taking over the game with his two-way talents and recently Ohtani turned some heads with his comments about the baseballs being used in 2022.

Ohtani met with the media and had this to say via Sam Blum of The Athletic:

I do feel it personally, and just by watching the games, I feel like the balls aren't as juiced. And just by looking at the numbers - exit velo, launch angle - there are some balls that should leave the yard that haven't.

Ohtani isn't the only one thinking the baseballs are dead as Chicago Cubs outfield Ian Happ said the exactly same thing about the dead balls after a series in Atlanta where some batters saw hits with 107 (MPH), 109, and 105 as outs when normally if you get the ball in the air with some decent exit-velo they would be home runs.

As far as the league as a whole, home run totals are down drastically. As of Tuesday afternoon, all 30 teams had combined for 797 home runs. To give you an idea, this point last season, there were 1,161 round trippers. 

The baseball is dead and Ohtani is leading the charge trying to fix the issue. The MLB altered the ball to be softer, have less bounce and more drag before the season started and we all want the juiced balls back in the mix!

Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports