Shohei Ohtani receives mostly cheerful welcome in return to a half-full Angel Stadium

For the first time in exactly a year, Shohei Ohtani took the field for a regular season at Angel Stadium on Tuesday. In a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform.

The reception as Ohtani walked to the batter’s box captured many facets of his exit and return from the franchise where he spent the first six seasons of his MLB career. There were mostly cheers, reflecting his MVP-level success (and likely more than a few Dodger fans in attendance). There were a few boos, reflecting that not everyone was happy to see him sign a $700 million contract with a crosstown rival.

And it just wasn’t a full crowd, reflecting how much the franchise lost when he went away.

The Angels didn’t treat Ohtani’s return with too much reverence. The Athletic’s Sam Blum reported that as of Monday, there were no plans to honor Ohtani before the game, and that mostly held.

The team had a graphic showing his accomplishments — Rookie of the Year, two MVPs, two Silver Sluggers — but only played a video on social media. It’s probably worth pointing that they did play a video when Ohtani visited in a spring training game.

Ohtani grounded out to first in his first at-bat, but came through for an RBI triple to tie the game in his next trip to the plate.

Obviously, that is something Angel Stadium has seen before.

Shohei Ohtani will always be a part of Angels history

The game is Ohtani’s first at Angel Stadium in a visiting uniform, and on the anniversary of his final game in an Angels uniform. Ohtani played his first six MLB seasons in Anaheim, outperforming the outsized expectations he arrived with as a high-profile prospect out of his native Japan.

Hailed as the Japanese Babe Ruth, Ohtani signed with the Angels in 2017 at 23 years old and quickly delivered on his promise as a generational two-way player. Ohtani earned AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 while thriving at the plate and in limited appearances on the mound.

In his first MLB season, Ohtani slashed .285/.361/.564 with 22 home runs, 61 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He posted a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings pitched through 10 starts. The campaign set the table for high expectations in Anaheim with Ohtani paired alongside Mike Trout, who won his third MVP trophy one season later.

Tommy John surgery limited him on the mound after his rookie season, but he continued to develop at the plate as one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters. When he returned to the mound full-time in 2021, his combined efforts as a hitter and pitcher earned Ohtani his first MVP trophy.

He finished in the top 4 in Cy Young and MVP voting in 2022, then returned to the Angels on a one-year, $30 million contract that avoided arbitration. He earned MVP again in 2023 in a season that turned out to be his last with the Angels.

While Ohtani’s play exceeded the hype, the Angels couldn’t translate his talent into team success. The Angeles never made the postseason in Ohtani’s six seasons with the franchise, and he left the team last offseason in arguably the most anticipated free agency in MLB history. He joined the Dodgers on a 10-year, $700 million contract, but reportedly gave the Angels an opportunity to match the deal.

In his six seasons with the Angels, Ohtani slashed .274/.366/.556 with 171 home runs, 437 RBI and 86 stolen bases. In 481 2/3 innings pitched, he posted a 3.01 ERA and 1.082 WHIP with 608 strikeouts and 173 walks.

Elbow surgery has kept Ohtani off the mound again in 2024, but he’s the overwhelming NL MVP favorite thanks to a historic season at the plate. Ohtani entered Tuesday slashing .292/.377/.616 with 44 home runs, 98 RBI and 46 stolen bases with his eyes on an unprecedented season with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.