Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Dodgers following the 2023 MLB season on a massive $700 million contract, the largest in the history of any sport, and for good reason.
Perhaps the most unique part of Ohtani’s game is that he can hit and pitch to an extremely high level.
In 86 career starts, he has an impressive Earned Run Average of 3.01 based on ESPN’s website.
Unfortunately, in August of 2023 he tore his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) before he could make an appearance on the mound for the Dodgers.
Luckily for them, Ohtani is also one of the best hitters in baseball.
In the 2024 season, ESPN reported that Ohtani had his best season yet at the plate with a career-high batting average of .310 which ranked fifth among all players this season.
Ohtani also ranked second in home runs with 54 and slugging percentage with an average of .646, second only to the Yankee’s Aaron Judge, according to ESPN.
What made his season so special though was his ability on the base paths in addition to his hitting statistics. An article published by David Schoenfield on ESPN highlights some astounding statistics.
Before Ohtani, the most stolen bases recorded by a player in a single season with 50 home runs were Willie Mays (1955) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) who both had 24.
Ohtani has had baseball fans all over the world wondering, could he be the greatest player the sport has ever seen? The stats certainly suggest that.
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