Despite Shohei Ohtani’s powerful advocacy for more two-way players, his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates and Major League Baseball’s deeply entrenched specialization cast serious doubt on whether anyone can truly duplicate his unique, 150-year unmatched skillset.
In the expansive history of Major League Baseball, spanning over 20,000 players, only one has achieved the remarkable distinction of being an All-Star as both a pitcher and a batter. That singular talent is Shohei Ohtani, a player whose skillset and relentless drive have not been replicated in a century and a half. As Ohtani prepares to take the mound for World Series Game 4, just hours after an 18-inning epic performance where he tied an MLB record by reaching base nine times, his message is clear: he wants others to follow his two-way path.
“I like to encourage kids who are trying the two-way to do it as long as possible, as long as they’re allowed to, as much as their talent level could take them,” Ohtani stated through his translator. This sentiment, however, is met with a dose of reality from those who witness his greatness firsthand.
Teammates Weigh In: The ‘Superhuman’ Standard
Even for seasoned professionals like Dodgers teammates Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, Ohtani’s abilities defy belief. Freeman described it as “aweing,” quipping, “Sometimes you just like to make sure it’s not a machine under there.” Betts, an eight-time All-Star himself, cautioned against simply wishing to be a two-way player. “Man, we got to be careful because not everybody is Shohei Ohtani. Not everybody’s 6-4 (actually 6-3), however much he weighs, throws 100 (mph) and hits like that. There’s only one man that can do that,” Betts emphasized, highlighting the extraordinary blend of physical gifts and athleticism Ohtani possesses.
Their skepticism underscores a critical point: while desire is crucial, it’s not enough to bridge the gap between aspiration and Ohtani-level execution. The sheer raw talent required is, as Betts puts it, a “difference in abilities and just pure raw athleticism.”
A History of Specialization: When Two-Way Dreams Fade
The concept of a two-way player isn’t entirely new, even if Ohtani’s success at the professional level is unprecedented. College baseball celebrates this versatility with the John Olerud Award, named after a former Washington State star who excelled as both a pitcher and first baseman in the 1980s. While Olerud went on to a 17-season big league career as an All-Star first baseman, he never pitched professionally.
Recent Olerud Award winners, such as Paul Skenes, illustrate the difficult choice many young talents face. Skenes, a standout hitter and pitcher at Air Force, saw his two-way career conclude after transferring to LSU in 2023. He explained that “the upside on the mound, I think, was a lot better than upside hitting,” leading him to focus solely on pitching—a decision that ultimately resulted in a National Championship win for LSU. Even Freddie Freeman himself was once a two-way player in high school, but acknowledged the physical toll: “If I kept pitching my arm would have blown out, I promise you. My elbow was hurting in high school.”
Ohtani’s Unmatched Production Despite Setbacks
At 31 years old, Shohei Ohtani’s career statistics speak volumes about his unprecedented success. According to Baseball-Reference, in eight major league seasons, he boasts a .282 average with 280 homers and 669 RBIs, surpassing career home run totals of Hall of Famers Joe Morgan, Derek Jeter, and Paul Molitor. On the mound, Ohtani holds a 39-20 record with a 3.00 ERA and 670 strikeouts across 528 2/3 innings, despite being limited to 100 starts due to elbow operations in 2019 and 2024. His elite performance in both disciplines is further highlighted by his 98.4 mph four-seam fastball velocity (seventh among starters) and 94.9 mph exit velocity on batted balls (third among hitters who saw 500 pitches).
His recent performance in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against Milwaukee, where he pitched six scoreless innings while striking out the side in the first and hitting three homers, was lauded by Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred as “probably the greatest game of all time.” Fellow Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow simply described him as “a super human.”
The Institutional Barrier to Versatility
Despite Ohtani’s inspiring example, the likelihood of another “superhuman” emerging anytime soon remains low, primarily due to the systemic forces within MLB’s 30 organizations. As Omar Minaya, a New York Yankees special assistant and former general manager, explained, “The game has evolved into a specialty sport, meaning that it discourages versatility in how you play the game.”
This specialization is evident across the league, from pitchers focusing solely on relief or starting roles, to hitters being pigeonholed as right-handed or left-handed specialists. Organizations invest heavily in developing players for specific, optimized roles, making the dual development of a pitcher and a hitter an organizational anomaly that requires immense resources and tolerance for risk. This trend is a major factor in why truly two-way players are so rare, as detailed in various analyses of modern baseball development by outlets like MLB.com.
The Enduring Awe, and its Limits
The admiration for Ohtani’s achievements is widespread, even among competitors. Blue Jays manager John Schneider admits he watches Ohtani play when not occupied with his own club. However, even this admiration has its limits. Schneider humorously noted the time difference: “They’re three hours behind us. I’m always watching baseball, but if I’m tired and it’s time to hit the rack and he’s coming up to lead off the next inning, I’m asleep.” This perfectly encapsulates the unique position Ohtani holds: a player so extraordinary he commands universal attention, yet remains an exception to the rule of modern baseball.
While Shohei Ohtani dreams of a future with more two-way stars, the reality is that the physical demands, the inherent risks, and the deep-rooted specialization within Major League Baseball make his footsteps incredibly difficult, if not impossible, for others to truly follow.
