Shohei Ohtani has broken the mold of the traditional baseball player. The two-way superstar is among the best in the league as both a hitter and pitcher, earning him the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2018, AL MVP in 2021, and runner-up for MVP last season.
Ohtani is doing something that hasn’t been done since the days of Babe Ruth, but it may not take another 100 or so years to see another two-way star.
Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. was a guest on “The Bret Boone Podcast” and explained why he thinks there are going to be more two-way players in the major leagues in years to come.
“I think there could’ve been a couple of guys who had done it prior. I think everybody that played, pretty much, major league baseball was a shortstop and a pitcher. It’s just the way it is because you’ve got a good arm, and if you’re left-handed you’re probably the first baseman,” Griffey Jr. said. “I was a pitcher, first baseman. They said I can do more damage in the outfield than I would if I was a pitcher because I’m only going to play once or twice a week.”
Youth sports in America have become very specialized. Rather than kids playing multiple sports depending on the season, some have keyed in on one sport – and one position – rather than staying versatile.
“So I think in America that’s what happens where we have to switch. We’ve got to figure out who’s going to play where at what age,” Griffey Jr. continued.
But that doesn’t have to be the case.
“You look at Hunter Greene, he was a shortstop-pitcher, he was hitting balls up in the third deck at Petco Park as a senior in high school,” Griffey Jr. said. “There are guys who can do it.
“What (Ohtani’s) done is unbelievable. Hands down. I take my hat off to him. But I think as we are in a copycat league there are going to be more guys like him. Maybe not to that level, but there are going to be some guys that are going to be able to swing the bat and pitch.”
Ohtani is a unicorn in baseball right now but more players may follow his lead by continuing to develop on both sides of the ball throughout their teenage years and into the professional ranks.
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram