Reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani shows off his wide arsenal of pitches 

Reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani is an anomaly. He is one of two prolific pitcher-sluggers in the history of the game. The other being the "Bambino" Babe Ruth.

Shohei Ohtani's accomplishments in his young major league career haven't been seen in a century. Sure, there are many pitchers who can hit respectably. Hall of Famers Bob Lemon and Warren Spahn generated some power at the plate during their playing days. But Ohtani's sheer talent on both sides of the ball is unmatched, especially nowadays where tons of metrics are involved in the game. Ohtani has scored 109 homers in 482 games and has struck out 312 batters across 252 innings.

In an interview with Time Magazine, the young Japanese superstar shared his pitching repertoire.

Learn how to pitch like Shohei Ohtani in 43 seconds https://ti.me/3QLdxu1" - @ TIME

Ohtani has a plethora of pitches in his cabinet. He throws a four-seam fastball, curve, slider, cutter, and a splitter. The deadliest in his arsenal being his splitter. This season, despite the Japanese hurler having only thrown it 14% of the time, he has done so with tremendous efficiency. Opposing batters have only managed to hit .143 against the split-fingered fastball.

Pitchers from Japan are known for their specialties in splitters, cutters, and other fastball varieties, and Ohtani is no exception.

Shohei Ohtani's Splitter: A Breakdown

Not only is Shohei Ohtani dominating at the plate, he's also set records on the mound. It can be recalled that in an April game against the Texas Rangers, Ohtani issued his first ever grand slam.

Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim set the first record in the history books, hitting a grand slam against Ohtani's pitching. Heim also put an end to an 0-for-58 streak by hitters on a 0-2 pitch against Ohtani's splitter. The Angels star threw 113 splitters on 0-2 counts and went hitless before Heim broke the streak.

Shohei Ohtani, Nasty 91mph Splitter...and Pitching with Emotion. 🔥" - @ Rob Friedman

Ohtani has used the splitter 149 times against 50 batters this year and has only issued three hits, two doubles, and two homers so far. He used the pitched with devastating effectivity on his way to an MLB career-best 2.90 ERA so far.

The star has a 6-4 record through 12 starts this season. He has done everything humanely possible to keep the Los Angeles Angels afloat. Now, it's time for his team to step up in their quest for a postseason spot this year.