Shohei Ohtani has captured the baseball world's attention and imagination, over and over.
He might've done it in the biggest way yet in NLCS Game 4, when he pitched six shutout innings, struck out 10 batters and also hit three home runs.
Then he broke out his legendary bat as a DH in Game 3 of the World Series, another epic performance.
It all continues to raise the question of just how good Ohtani is. Is there anyone better than him, ever?
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Is Shohei Ohtani the best baseball player ever?
There's a gigantic case to be made that yes, Ohtani is the GOAT.
Obviously, everyone will have their own player to argue for. Babe Ruth. Willie Mays. Mickey Mantle. Maybe a pitcher, like Bob Gibson, or a catcher, like Johnny Bench.
But Ohtani is different, even than Ruth.
Ohtani is two superstar players in one.
He's a hitter so talented that in 2024, he went 50-50 in homers and steals.
And now back on the mound, Ohtani is also one of the best pitchers in the sport.
Ruth supporters will note that he, too, was a star pitcher and a star hitter.
Except Ruth was different. He didn't have seasons where he was a full-time pitcher and a full-time hitter.
Ohtani is in the Dodgers' lineup almost every day that he isn't pitching. That was true when he was with the Angels, too.
When Ohtani first came to MLB, teams figured he'd need off days bracketing his starts, and get just a couple of hitting starts each week.
But then the Japanese superstar proved he didn't need those bonus off days. He thrives just doing his thing, day in and day out.
Ohtani also didn't always used to hit during his pitching starts. Now, he does that, too.
It's all magnificent and legendary and GOAT-worthy.
Maybe it'll help Ohtani's cause if he has a few more great games in this World Series.
But there's already no one like Ohtani. There's never been a guy who was two players in one like him. It doesn't get better than this.
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- Buddy Kennedy will get a World Series ring no matter which team wins
- The Montreal Expos are back in the spotlight
- Ernie Clement got his baseball glove on eBay
- Blue Jays' Davis Schneider is copying the batting stance of a Dodgers star