While pitchers regularly hit a century ago, most famously when Babe Ruth did it in the 1910s, the specialization of today’s game has made that kind of two-way playing, much less dominance, nearly impossible. For Ohtani, it was just another reminder that he’s playing a different sport than everyone else right now, and doing it at the highest level possible. He’s won four of the last five MVP awards (last year in a unanimous decision) and helped lead the Dodgers to two World Series titles in a row.
Tim Jeffreys
2026-03-12 03:00:00