Angels star Shohei Ohtani hit a bunch of home runs in batting practice before a game against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, May 25, 2018. (5/25/18)
NEW YORK — Yankees fans: Take a couple deep breaths before watching this.
In the video above, Angels star Shohei Ohtani blasts home run after home run during his first batting practice at Yankee Stadium before Friday’s game.
Ohtani was slated to hit fifth and DH against the team that wanted him so badly in the offseason.
The Yankees planned to chase hard after Ohtani, baseball’s first two-way star since Babe Ruth. But the 23-year-old turned them down, telling interested clubs he’d only play in a small market and not on the East Coast.
That ruled out the Yankees, who responded by trading for reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton.
But that won’t stop Yankees fans from dreaming about what might have been.
Is this the Yankees’ lineup with Bird?
Here are some Yankees notes for before the game, via the PR department:
BRONX BOMBERS: Yankees batters have hit 21HR over their last five games, matching the most in a five-game span in Major League history (also Boston from 6/14-19/77 and Cincinnati from 9/4-7/99)…Aaron Boone hit three of the Reds’ 21HR…have hit at least 3HR in each of their last 5G, the longest such streak in franchise history (previous: 4G from 7/27-30/56 and 6/8-11/17) and tied for the second-longest in MLB history (Baltimore-6G from 5/8-13/87)…only seven teams have hit 3-or-more HR in at least five straight games.
- 10 different Yankees have homered over the last 5G.
- Have 36XBH in the last 5G (13 doubles, 2 triples, 21HR).
- Yankees batters lead the Majors in runs (278), runs per game (5.91), HR (79), HR per game (1.68), OBP (.342), SLG (.474), OPS (.816) and walks (198), and rank second in XBHs (184) and total bases (767).
- Their 278R thru 47G are their most since 2006 (280R).
- Their 79HR mark their most through their first 47G of a season (previous: 77HR in 2009)…mark the most by a Major League team through 47G since the 2009 Rangers (80HR)…are the seventh-most HR through 47 team games by an MLB club since 1908.
- Are on pace to hit 272HR…the MLB single-season HR record was set by the 1997 Mariners (264).
Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
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