They said he's a two-way player for a reason and that we'll see it," Betts added. "For someone to do what he's doing is obviously amazing and we're all witnesses to it. "It's all impressive," perennial All-Star Mookie Betts said. To help encapsulate such wonder regarding his two-way ability, we asked 15 other All-Stars a simple question: If you could only pick one version of Ohtani, would you rather have him as a hitter or pitcher?Ī handful of All-Stars could not settle on which phase they lean toward. But the degree to which he's revered among his fantastically talented peers really elevates him to a uniquely special status. It's easy for us common folk to marvel at what Ohtani does. "It was kind of a LeBron situation where the hype was so high that you thought it wasn't possible for someone to live up to it - and he's surpassed it, which is almost impossible to do with that level of expectations, but he's done the same thing."įast-forward to Ohtani's repeated historic campaigns, and now the only debate involving the two-way superstar is which side he's actually better at. "I remember the hype," Athletics slugger Brent Rooker said. "But ever so surely, each year he got better and better at both and here we are now, and he's gonna be the first $500 million player. "You're like, ‘man, this is the big leagues. Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray hasn't forgotten the fair share of skepticism that surrounded Ohtani's initial pursuit as a two-way player in the majors. "But credit to him, he's proven those people wrong." "I remember the veterans talking about how they did not think his body was going to be able to hold the demand of being an everyday hitter and a starting pitcher," Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos recalled. It wasn't strictly about the pure talent required to perform at the highest level, but also the toll it would take on any player physically.
When Ohtani made his MLB debut in 2018, there was ample curiosity about just exactly how he would sustain his two-way performance to any degree against the best players in the world.
In turn, whispers about a possible Ohtani trade over the next few weeks have swelled to an undeniable volume regardless of the front office's continued insistence that no such deal is being considered at this time.Īdd it all up, and you can't go far in Seattle without falling into some form of an Ohtani conversation. 500 as recently as June 16, but a barrage of injuries headlined by Mike Trout's broken hamate has sent the club back into a familiar tailspin. "I've seen some great players, but I mean none that can both run like the wind, throw a hundred miles an hour and hit as well as anybody in the game."Ītlanta Braves' Matt Olson and Philadelphia Phillies' Nick Castellanos discussed the original expectations of Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player ahead of the 2023 MLB All-Star game.Īnaheim was eight games over. "He's the most incredible athlete I've ever seen in baseball," Baker said. It's now 2023 and the Midsummer Classic is in Seattle where the unicorn has been selected as a pitcher and hitter for the third consecutive season, and though he didn't participate in the Derby, nor is he expected to pitch, Ohtani remains squarely the center of attention - perhaps more than ever.Īstros manager Dusty Baker set the tone Monday regarding his No. It was an absolutely preposterous display of baseball talent over a 24-hour span. SEATTLE - Two years ago in Denver, amidst his first of what will surely be several MVP seasons, Shohei Ohtani launched 28 homers in the first round of the Home Run Derby, then woke up the next day and started for the American League - on the mound and in the leadoff spot as the designated hitter.
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