MLB hasn’t seen a talent like Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani.
You might argue that Babe Ruth did a similar thing back in his day, in the late 1910s, but he never dominated the league both as a pitcher and as a hitter in the same season like Ohtani did in 2021 and is doing once again in 2022.
If you are looking for a stat that shows just how dominant this phenom is, just use the old and reliable triple slash line: batting average, OBP, and slugging.
That shows you his contact ability, on-base prowess, and in-game power.
“Shohei Ohtani vs. pitchers in his MLB career: .253 AVG, .349 OBP, .491 SLG. Shohei Ohtani vs. batters in his MLB career: .211 AVG, .283 OBP, .348 SLG,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Shohei Ohtani vs. pitchers in his MLB career:
.253 AVG, .349 OBP, .491 SLG
Shohei Ohtani vs. batters in his MLB career:
.211 AVG, .283 OBP, .348 SLG https://t.co/rJCKNz9wuY— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 4, 2022
Basically, he hits like an All-Star and pitches like a Cy Young candidate.
A True Freak Of Nature
His slash line in the last two seasons is nothing short of amazing.
In 2021, the year in which he won the AL MVP award unanimously, he hit .257/.372/.592 with 46 home runs.
He also had a 3.18 ERA in 130.1 innings, with 156 strikeouts.
In 2022, he has been slightly worse with the bat but still elite: .253/.349/.491 with 22 homers so far.
On the mound, however, he has been magnificent: he has a 2.83 ERA in 105 frames, with 152 punchouts.
If he remains healthy and isn’t shut down early, he has a shot at 200 strikeouts as a pitcher and 35 home runs as a hitter.
Those would be amazing numbers, but they won’t be new for him.
He is the player kids are currently looking up to, a kind beast: he is polite and well-mannered, but is a fierce competitor on the field.
We are in for another historic season.
NEXT: Angels Insider Shares New Mike Trout Update