Your plans tonight are set: Watch Shohei Ohtani against the Pirates

I will be glued to the couch for Friday’s Pittsburgh Pirates game on the west coast.

It’s one of the most exciting matchups to date this season, not due to the Pirates’ shot to win the game, but rather who they face on the other side.

The Bucs begin a three-game series in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels with one of the best baseball players ever on the mound.

Shohei Ohtani takes the hill for the Angels opposite Johan Ovideo. You should watch every pitch. Ohtani has been dubbed with multiple nicknames, including a unicorn, and praised as the greatest player in all of baseball.

There is a legitimate argument to dub the Japanese superstar as the best player the sport has ever seen. The 29-year-old former Rookie of the Year and 2021 MVP owns a 3.50 ERA in 105.1 innings spanning 18 starts. He leads the majors in hits-per-9 (6.2),wild pitches (12), and has struck out 139 hitters compared to 46 walks.

Oh, and he leads the Major Leagues in triples and home runs. Sitting at 35 home runs through 95 games, Ohtani is on pace to potentially break Aaron Judge’s AL home run record (62). He’s totaled 16 doubles, seven triples, 76 RBI and 11 steals this season. He also leads baseball in slugging (.678), OPS (1.075), OPS+ (187), and (246) as the team’s No. 1 pitcher. It is utterly ridiculous how good this guy is.

Lock in on the game Friday night. Appreciate greatness. It’s frustrating Ohtani hasn’t played at PNC Park yet. Friday marks the first time the Pirates have ever seen Ohtani during his six-year career. Ohtani is the type of player you will tell future generations about.

The Pirates face an uphill battle against the soon-to-be free agent who has nothing left to prove and will easily command over $500 million in free agency.

The newly redesigned MLB schedule has propelled opportunities like this to the forefront as each of the 30 teams face off against each other. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your Friday night with Shohei Ohtani set to face your favorite team. Who knows the next time we might see this again.