Shohei Ohtani optimistic about Angels' prospects after team completes series win against Divisional foes to move into playoff spots

Last season, Shohei Ohtani had one of his worst personal hitting streaks alongside a 13-game, franchise-worst losing slide for his team, the Los Angeles Angels.

The losing skid all but closed the book on the Halos postseason aspirations, as the Houston Astros charged forward to make up for the available ground in the AL West. 2022 represented the eighth straight season for the Angels without a playoff appearance.

Now, the Los Angeles Angels are in a much better position than they were last season. The team's 40-32 record puts them just 3.5 games behind the top spot in their division. Moreover, the team is in a playoff position, owing to the expanded AL Wild Card format.

"Shohei Ohtani is the only qualified hitter in MLB with an OPS over 1.000. Beyond description" - MLB Network

This past weekend, the Angels were put to the test as they encountered the Texas Rangers, who are the divisional leaders. Coming into the series, everyone knew that it would be a strong indication of where the Angels were as a team.

The Los Angeles Angels captured three of the four games in Texas. In the rubbermatch of the series on June 15, Shohei Ohtani tossed six innings, striking out three and allowing just a pair of earned runs. After the series, Shohei Ohtani shared his thoughts about the energy on the team, and how the clubhouse seems far more energized than they did at this time last season.

"The boys are fired up. It’s a different atmosphere, even in the dugout during the games. Hopefully, we can continue this all the way through.” - Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani's hitting over the past 15 games is a huge reason why the Angels boast a record of 10-5 during that time. In that time frame, the 28-year old has hit .421 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs.

Shohei Ohtani needs to focus on winning with the Angels now

While everyone is talking about where Ohtani will sign when his one-year, $30 million deal ends, the Angels have slowly worked themselves into a statistical tie with the Houston Astros in the AL West.

While there remain some massive questions for the Angels to answer for themselves regarding their future with Ohtani, if the team keeps putting up wins and levelling up the standings, perhaps the case could, at least be presented to Shohei, to stick around come the end of the year.