In the 147-year history of the MLB, there has never been a two-way player like Shohei Ohtani. Posting incredible seasons on both the plate and the mound, it is safe to say that Ohtani is certainly the greatest baseball player the world has ever seen.
In just his sixth season, the Los Angeles Angels’ designated hitter leads the entire MLB in home runs with 31 and is currently tied for the league lead with 68 RBIs. On pace for about 58 home runs this year, Ohtani is having a hitting season that is on par with some of the all-time greats.
While the hitting statistics alone are undoubtedly remarkable, it is Ohtani’s ability to combine pitching and hitting that solidifies him as the all-time greatest ever.
Boasting an ERA of 3.02 along with the third most strikeouts in the MLB at 127, Ohtani has proven to be much more than just an average starter in the league. His strikeouts rank higher than the likes of Yankees ace Gerrit Cole who is currently at 118, and he has an earned run average lower than Mets star pitcher Justin Verlander, who is allowing 3.66 runs a game.
Ohtani’s two-way versatility is something the baseball world has never really seen before. Although some would argue that Babe Ruth did the same thing in 1918 and 1919, the competition Ruth faced is nothing compared to the modern-day MLB. Playing in a segregated league, Ruth was not allowed to face the best competition there was, whereas Ohtani faces the best pitchers and hitters on a nightly basis.
As the Angels prepare to face off against the San Diego Padres, Shohei Ohtani will have to face off against incredible pitchers such as Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove. Though challenging enough, Ohtani will also have to get on the mound and face the likes of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr at some point in this upcoming series.
Time and time again Ohtani has proven that he is a player unlike anything the world has ever seen. In his third season combining pitching and hitting, he became the first player in MLB history to combine the two for three straight seasons. The next closest player was Babe Ruth for just two seasons in 1918 and 1919. The Angel’s all-star is not just combining the two aspects, but excelling at both in a tremendous manner.
In a sport widely regarded as the hardest in the world, Shohei Ohtani continues to leave fans in awe as he dominates both sides of the game in ways never seen before. Although it is early to proclaim Ohtani as the greatest, his ability and statistics simply cannot be argued with.
In just his sixth season, Shohei Ohtani has managed to become the greatest baseball player of all time.
Dont worry about it • Aug 18, 2023 at 6:30 am
That’s silly to say ohtani is without question the greatest (and im a big ohtani fan). There have been plenty of players who have had a few incredible seasons (matching up with WAR, but fell off later and nobody mentions them much.
Baseball greatness is doing the right things consistently. The 3 amazing seasons he has had are worthy of public attention, but IMO is stupidly disrespectful to people like willie mays and ted williams so just throw their 20+ year careers out of the window. Ted Williams is the greatest all around hitter of all time and willie mays is probably the greatest player in offense and defense.
Shohei could very well reach that tier but lets just chill out saying he’s the goat when he only had 3 notable years so far.
Kan • Jul 10, 2023 at 8:49 am
What you’re saying seems obvious to me. Ohtani IS the greatest baseball player in history. It makes me why so many deny it. The completely different mental and physical skill sets to to play these 2 positions is astonishing when you think about it. And he plays both at a very high level. Amazing.