KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City Royals star Vinnie Pasquantino put on his reporting hat this week ahead of the World Series to answer a question that’s been on his mind since June.
Why does Shohei Ohtani throw so hard against him?
Pasquantino has gone to the plate twice in his career and seen two of the fastest pitches of Ohtani’s career. In a World Baseball Classic game between Italy and Japan, Ohtani whizzed a fastball past Pasquantino at 102 miles per hour.
In June, the Dodgers visited the Royals in Kansas City and Ohtani threw another fastball at 101.7 miles per hour.
Pasquantino, who was on site in Toronto ahead of Game 1 of the World Series as a player correspondent for MLB, asked Ohtani why his best pitches come out specifically against him.
“Why do you throw so hard to me?” Pasquantino asked. “Why? Why do you hate me?”
“You’re just a really good hitter,” Ohtani replied through a translator. “I have to.”
That excuse from Ohtani to Pasquantino, who had 32 home runs and 113 RBI this season, was not good enough for the Royals first baseman.
“It’s not good enough, you throw too hard, Shohei,” Pasquantino said.
The exchange was shared on social media.
“Here it is,” Pasquantino shared. “Hard hitting journalism.”
Ohtani and the Dodgers will begin their quest for back-to-back World Series titles Friday night against the Blue Jays.
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