Shohei Ohtani showing what would happen if he only focused on hitting
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.
Shohei Ohtani is a talent the likes of which Major League Baseball has not seen in a century.
A top-of-the-rotation-caliber pitcher and a power and speed threat in the lineup, the league has been forced to change its rules to accommodate his talent.
He is the exception to the universal designated hitter, able to remain in the lineup once his time on the mound has ended. The days of Ohtani having to move to the outfield once he was done pitching are over.
Ohtani has been a star despite being unable to focus on one specific area of his game. He is a three-time All-Star, won the American League MVP in 2021 and 2023, was the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in the 2022 AL Cy Young ballot. His dominance is enough to make one wonder what would happen if he stopped being a two-way player.
The Dodgers are getting an idea of what Ohtani would be if he only focused on hitting. He has posted a .365/.435/.696 batting line in his 171 plate appearances heading into Wednesday, hitting 11 homers and 14 doubles while stealing nine bases.
Ohtani leads the majors in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs, doubles, hits (54) and total bases (103). Ohtani is also performing at this level while recovering from a second elbow procedure that will keep him from the mound this year.
Ohtani was the prize of a Dodgers offseason that saw the franchise spend over $1.1 billion in free agency.
The Dodgers have high expectations as one of the favorites to win the World Series. Expectations are high for Ohtani as well as he intends to continue as a two-way player. However, the Dodgers are seeing exactly what Ohtani would be if he only focused on hitting.
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