At this point, baseball fans almost expect greatness from Shohei Ohtani. That may actually be the craziest part. What he is doing has never truly existed before in MLB history, yet somehow people are beginning to treat it like normal. It is not normal. And Wednesday served as another reminder of exactly why Ohtani remains the best player in baseball.
MORE: Mike Trout needs a change of scenery, and one team makes the most sense
Nobody Has Ever Done This
People will naturally bring up Babe Ruth whenever conversations like this happen. Yes, Ruth began his career as a dominant pitcher before transforming into arguably the greatest power hitter the sport had ever seen. But there is one huge difference.
Ruth never sustained elite production as both a hitter and a pitcher at the same time. Ohtani is doing both simultaneously. And not just doing it. Dominating.
Ohtani Started the Game With a Bang
Wednesday started exactly how you would expect for someone operating on another planet. Leading off for the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road against the San Diego Padres, Ohtani stepped to the plate and immediately launched the very first pitch of the game for his eighth home run of the season.
Just like that, before he even touched the mound, he gave himself some insurance. Because apparently being the starting pitcher wasn’t enough.
Overall, Ohtani finished: 1-for-4, with one home run, a walk, and two runs scored. For most players, that would already qualify as a very good night. For Ohtani, that was just halftime.
Then He Dominated on the Mound
After helping his own cause offensively, Ohtani went out and completely shut down one of baseball’s best teams, the San Diego Padres.
He threw five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits, a nd in the process, he lowered his absurd season ERA to 0.73. His overall numbers now sit at:
- 4-2 record
- 0.73 ERA
- 54 strikeouts
- 13 walks
- 49 innings pitched
Those numbers alone would put him in Cy Young conversations. And remember… he is also one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters.
The Standard for Ohtani Is Different
That is really what separates Ohtani from everyone else. Most players impact games in one way. Ohtani changes games in multiple ways at the same time.
He can beat you with power, pitching, speed, and his overall presence. And when he does all of it in the same game, it almost feels unfair. Shohei Ohtani did not just have another great game on Wednesday. He reminded everyone why he occupies a category entirely by himself.
Baseball has seen elite hitters. Baseball has seen elite pitchers. What it has never seen is this. And that is exactly why Shohei Ohtani remains the best player in the sport.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
