Patrick Sandoval, a left-hander, is one of the Los Angeles Angels’ young core players and is expected to play a role in their future plans as they go through a period of transition in the coming years.

Although he has experienced the typical highs and lows of a young starting pitcher inside the organization, he has also benefited from having some important guys to help him along the road. The example Shohei Ohtani established in both his production and process makes him someone to note.

Since Sandoval joined the big league roster in 2019, the two have been coworkers, and after pitching in the same rotation for five seasons, a camaraderie develops. The southpaw noted that there has been more to it than simply numbers in what has been a statistically step-back season overall.

According to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, Sandoval drew a lot of his lessons from watching Ohtani go about his business and develop into the superstar he is now.

Watching him develop into the player he is, according to Sandoval, has been a blessing. “I observed him at work every day, and it was incredibly beneficial to me. Just observing him get ready for sports, maintain a healthy body, and approach his task. I love how professional and diligent he is in his work.

Ohtani is one of the best examples to learn from because of his superior instinct, planning, and performance. The reverence with which Sandoval, 26, speaks about his teammate is consistent with the fact that the 26-year-old still has a long career ahead of him.

One of the team’s loudest advocates of how Ohtani’s leadership sets the standard for much of the organization has been Angels manager Phil Nevin, whose persistence speaks for itself.

Angels declare Shohei Ohtani has elbow surgery.
Soon after it was revealed that Ohtani would miss the rest of the 2023 season as a hitter due to an oblique injury, he underwent surgery on Tuesday. Dr. Neal ElAttrache also clarified in the statement that Ohtani did not require a total restoration of the ligament.

The procedure to repair the UCL is frequently referred to as a “Tommy John” tear. Ohtani had TJ in 2018 and would not make a full recovery as a pitcher until 2021, which was also his first MVP season; he is currently in line to win his second.