by It’s no secret that Shohei Ohtani is a unicorn.
Last season, Ohtani became the first person in MLB history to qualify for batting and ERA titles; this season, he is pitching with a 3.50 ERA while hitting .303 with 33 home runs and an MLB-leading 1.046 OPS.
There has never been anyone like Ohtani in sports, no, not even Babe Ruth did this. So how does he do it?
Well, even some of the smartest minds gaming has seen are clueless.
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Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels looks on during the Gatorade All-Star Workout Day at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Ohtani struggled against Dusty Baker’s Houston Astros on Friday night, leaving early a third straight start with an ongoing blister. But a rocky start, five innings of four runs, shouldn’t take away from what the 2021 MVP (and favorite to win this year) has done throughout his career.
“The biggest strength he has is as a player, he doesn’t have any weaknesses,” Baker said. The Associated Press. “I don’t know another guy like him. He’s got to be in tremendous, tremendous shape to pitch and hit every day.”
Yes, Ohtani is just a weird athlete. His 6’4″, 210-pound frame is one of the best hitters, pitchers and baserunners in the game. Don’t ask Baker how it happened, but he has a feeling Ohtani can’t get out that much.
“I’m trying to figure out when he trains and when he runs to get his stamina. I’m sure he does. He must be an extremely dedicated guy,” he added.
“: He’s got to be probably one of the cleanest livers, because he’s working on something every day. I admire him.”
Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani talks to members of the Chicago White Sox as they sit in his dugout after hitting a single during the eighth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Anaheim, California. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
TREVOR BAUER NAMED JAPAN ALL-STAR, NAMED LEAGUE MVP FOR JUNE
The 29-year-old has more than lived up to expectations since joining the majors in 2018. Dubbed the “Japanese Babe Ruth” when he arrived, he was named AL Rookie of the Year with a .285 and . 925 OPS while pitching to a 3.31 ERA and striking out 11 batters over nine innings. He became the first player in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs and strike out at least 60 batters in the same season.
He was the unanimous 2021 AL MVP with 46 home runs, the third-most in baseball, and 100 RBIs with a .965 OPS. He also posted a 3.18 ERA, which was the eighth-best mark in the American League among pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched.
Last year, his 2.33 ERA was the sixth-best in baseball, while his .875 OPS was the 10th-highest in the majors, proving that the year before was no fluke. If it was not for aaron judgein the run for a Triple Crown while tying Roger Maris for the most home runs in a single season by an AL player, Ohtani would have won MVP again.
Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
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With the trade deadline approaching the end of this month, and Ohtani angels of los angeles Likely to miss the postseason for the ninth straight season, his team certainly has a decision to make as they risk losing perhaps the most talented player in history for nothing in free agency.
At the same time, trading such a player seems like it would never make sense.
