Shohei Ohtani took the mound at Angel Stadium for the first time in nearly two years, pitching into the fifth inning for the first time this season in the Dodgers' 6-5 loss to the Angels on Wednesday night. And a return to the pitching rubber at his old stomping grounds meant Ohtani faced off against some old friends, such as three-time American league MVP Mike Trout, whom he struck out twice.
It also meant that Ohtani took the time to reflect on being back in the ballpark he called home for the better part of his first six big league seasons.
And while it wasn't surprising to see Ohtani looks back fondly on Angel Stadium, it was perhaps a bit surprising to see just how highly he spoke of the park.
"I had a lot of good memories being in this stadium," Ohtani told MLB.com. "It’s one of my favorite stadiums to play in. So it was a really important mark for me to be able to pitch on this mound again."
At face value, Ohtani saying that Angel Stadium was one of his favorite stadiums to play in isn't too surprising. But when you consider the general perception of the park, his high praise becomes a bit more surprising.
While Angel Stadium has good weather and sunshine on its side, its close proximity to highways, apartment complexes and parking lots dampens the vibe just a bit—and earned it a ranking of 23rd out of 30 ballparks in Sports Illustrated's stadium rankings for the 2025 season.
Stadium nostalgia aside, Ohtani's Dodgers were swept by the Angels in the season series, which spanned six games. So admittedly, his club has bigger fish to fry, namely its upcoming series with the now-first place San Diego Padres.
But it's always fun to restart a conversation about which MLB ballparks are—and maybe aren't—the best.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shohei Ohtani Had Surprising Statement About Angel Stadium After Facing Former Team.
