"You see that in NFL but not that often in baseball" - Shohei Ohtani's powerful drive to wreck training device amazes Dodgers coach

By signing his record-breaking $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani placed the expectations of the world on his shoulders. With the season fast approaching, the Japanese superstar is already leaving some members of the team's coaching staff speechless.

Having reported to the team's spring training facility in Arizona at the beginning of February, Ohtani hit the ground running, literally. According to Dodgers' special assistant Ron Roenicke, Ohtani's fitness is on another level.

In a recent interview to the LA Times, Roenicke retold an instance in which Shohei Ohtani broke the wire of a 1080 Sprint. The 1080 Sprint is a machine that aims to focus on players' running capabilites by attaching a wire around their waist while they run on the treadmill.

On Ohtani breaking one of the team's 1080 Sprints earlier this spring, Roenicke said:

“He’s just so powerful, with strength and quickness. I’m sure they see that in the NFL. But you don’t see that very often in baseball, not with that kind of speed and strength. It’s different. He’s a different athlete.”

Roenicke claimed that while stars in the NFL have been known to break sprinting machines, it rarely happens in MLB. For those who heard about the situation, Roenicke's anecdote provides a snapshot into Ohtani's priorities, with the season approaching.

On account of a recent procedure, the 2024 season will represent the first season in which Ohtani will not pitch since making his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Angels in 2017. Due to this, many believe that the 29-year-old has been giving extra focus to his hitting and baserunning.

"Shohei Ohtani running back to the Dodgers Clubhouse after his home run "SportsNetLA" - Dodgers Nation

Last year, Ohtani hit an AL-best 44 home runs. Moreover, Ohtani led the league in on-base percentage, and total bases, all while going 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA. On account of the performance, the two-way phenom was given the AL MVP Award, the second such of his career.

Shohei Ohtani is giving fans a reason to be excited

With the Dodgers set to kick off their action on March 20 in Korea against the San Diego Padres, Shohei Ohtani's regular season debut is drawing very near. On Sunday, Ohtani combined with teammates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman for seven hits, five runs, and four RBIs against the Colorado Rockies. Needless to say, with Ohtani having worked so hard to get himself in shape for the upcoming year, fans can look forward to some fairly scintillating results.