Former Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin compares Shohei Ohtani to Basketball Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant
On Thursday, the two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani unanimously won the American League MVP Award. This is his second win in three years, losing to Aaron Judge's magical season in 2022.
Ohtani is the first player to win the award twice by a unanimous decision. This strengthens his resume as he heads into free agency to watch nearly every team fight over him.
While the Japanese phenom has been compared to a lot of things, his former manager compared his work ethic to that of NBA legends. Phil Nevin told MLB Network on SiriusXM that his work ethic is at the level of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
"You hear about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Shohei Ohtani is in that category as far as what he does to prepare to be the best," stated Nevin.
Both Jordan and Bryant were widely known for their competitiveness and what they did on and off the court to be the best. It is a fantastic compliment from somebody who knows Ohtani much better than most.
Kobe was known for his exhausting off-season workout regimen. He would train for six hours a day, six days a week, for six months of the year. Being the best is not easy, but somebody has to do it.
Shohei Ohtani's free agency is looking promising
As expected, not many teams are worried that Shohei Ohtani will be unable to pitch during the 2024 season. He underwent an elbow procedure at the end of the regular season and will not be back on a mound until 2025.
However, he will still be able to hit and plans to be a full-time designated hitter. During the 2023 season, he had no problems showing his offensive prowess. It was one of Ohtani's best seasons at the plate, hitting .304/.412/.654 with 44 homers.
One team that would love to sign that type of offense is the Chicago Cubs. They have put their name in the hat for the Ohtani sweepstakes after hiring former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell.
Another team considered the favorite to sign Ohtani is the Los Angeles Dodgers. He would be a great fit alongside Mookie Betts, who he beat out to win the AL MVP this season.
It will be interesting to see how aggressive teams get in trying to sign one of this generation's best players.