“He is a one-way player this season” - MLB analyst discusses Shohei Ohtani’s incredible offensive abilities during his hiatus from pitching
Shohei Ohtani is probably the only player in the MLB who can be called a two-way star right now. A significant part of Ohtani's fame came due to his exceptional hitting and pitching skills. The Los Angeles Angels were the only team in the majors to experience both sides of the star.
Ohtani's stint with the Dodgers just began, but it's going to be a long 10 years. However, he's not expected to pitch until the 2025 season. Ohtani's elbow surgery last year restricted him from pitching this season. Thus giving him more time to focus on hitting.
The Dodgers' designated hitter has been incredible with his performance at the plate. That said, MLB analyst Ken Rosenthal and reporter Alanna Rizzo discussed whether Shohei Ohtani would be better off doing just one thing.
Rosenthal shed light on the discussion, remembering his talk with former Angles hitting coach Jeremy Reed. According to Reed, Ohtani needed to do both pitching and hitting to avoid getting obsessed with one side.
"I think now maybe we have a different opinion. Because he is a one-way player this season and it has been unbelievable to see what he has done offensively," Rosental said on Foul Territory.
Rosenthal added that there has always been a discussion about whether Ohtani prefers hitting over pitching. However, that doesn't seem to be the case and the Dodgers have not paid $700 million just to see one side of their star player.
"Certainly, the idea of Ohtani is he does both. That is why presumably he got the $700 million, but I would content this dude is going to be worth the money regardless," Rosenthal added.
Shohei Ohtani's exceptional hitting powers helps Dodgers secure a walk-off victory
Shohei Ohtani was once again at his best when the Dodgers took on the Cincinnati Reds in their last game. The Dodgers were tied 2-2 at the end of nine innings. Ohtani came to the rescue with a walk-off hit that drove in a run in the 10th inning.
Ohtani smashed a base hit to right field against Alexis Diaz, driving in the winning run as Jason Heyward reached home plate for the win.
Ohtani is also one of the top three leaders with 13 home runs this season. The slugger holds a batting clip of .353 with 33 RBIs and 33 runs in 187 appearances at the plate.