Think about what you saw on Friday night. Three home runs, one of which LEFT DODGER STADIUM. A 10-strikeout shutout on the mound. Those are not human feats that anyone can accomplish. That’s a GOAT thing.
What I’ve always felt about Ohtani is how easy everything seems to him and at the same time, he’s remarkably SO athletic. At times, it feels like he’s barely breaking a sweat doing what he does as a two-way player. However, he can generate triple-digit heat when he pitches, in addition to making one of my favorite sounds in sports: the BOOM of the ball with his bat that I haven’t heard from any other slugger. It’s not a CRACK. It’s thunder.
Then there’s the fact that we’re talking about a player who gave us the first 50-50 season in MLB history. That was in a 2024 season in which he couldn’t pitch while recovering from Tommy John surgery, so with that extra, unused energy he had built up, HE STOLE 59 BASES. WHILE HITTING .310! Imagine what you could do if you DID NOT pitch.
He’s already checked all the boxes he needs to: He’s a three-time MVP, Rookie of the Year, and World Series champion (with a second World Series appearance coming up and a shot at a second ring).
You can give me Babe Ruth arguments given his two-way abilities as a pitcher. It can be argued that there was no better athlete than Willie Mays, no better hitter than Hank Aaron or Barry Bonds, no better pure hitter than Ted Williams. All valid.
But Shohei Ohtani surpasses them all. You are witnessing the GOAT at his best. Don’t take it for granted.