Shohei Ohtani’s latest comments put serious pressure on Angels

The Angels star declined to engage on any topic related to the MLB trade deadline or his pending free agency. He did, however, make one comment that piles even more pressure on the Angels. Ohtani admitted that all the losing in Anaheim has started to wear on him.

“Those feelings get stronger year by year,” Ohtani said through his interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, via The Athletic’s Andy McCullough. “It sucks to lose. [I want] to win.”

The Angels have not made the playoffs since Ohtani arrived in 2018. The team has yet to even post a winning record in that span, coming the closest during Shohei’s rookie season when the team finished 80-82.

It’s hard to blame Ohtani for feeling frustrated given that even his otherworldly two-way efforts haven’t been enough to lift the team to any postseason baseball.

There was always going to be pressure on the Angels this season to prove that they could build a winner around Ohtani. But with the MLB trade deadline drawing near and Ohtani vocalizing his distaste for all the losing, the pressure is now at an all-time high.

The Angeles’ record stands at 45-46 at the All-Star break, five games out of the closest AL wild card spot. If the Angels don’t turn the season around soon, Ohtani’s departure grows more and more likely. The Angels might have to re-evaluate their stance on the two-way star.