{"id":657341,"date":"2026-04-01T20:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T20:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/657341\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T20:25:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T20:25:26","slug":"dodgers-shohei-ohtani-gets-wild-claim-during-babe-ruth-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/657341\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Gets Wild Claim During Babe Ruth Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> two-way star Shohei Ohtani was on the receiving end of a bold take after his first start of the season.<\/p>\n

Ohtani fanned six in six innings of work, marking a great start to his season<\/a> in terms of results.<\/p>\n

He allowed only one hit, proving he gets outs effectively, but his stuff was not at its best, which should be quite worrying for teams going forward.<\/p>\n

The righty went 1-for-3 with two walks on Tuesday at the plate, changing erratically after he was done pitching <\/a>to hit at the top of the order a few times.<\/p>\n

\"MarMar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) looks out at the scoreboard during a challenge of a ball\/strike call in the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

With Ohtani throwing the ball so well and putting on a true showcase of his abilities, Fox Sports\u2019 Colin Cowherd <\/a>felt good enough to take a firm stance on the debate between the Japanese star and his only other historical comparison, Babe Ruth.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night, Ohtani, six scoreless innings, gets on bases of batter. He\u2019s now, for the first time in a couple of years, he is now a full-time go both way pitcher and hitter,\u201d Cowherd said on \u201cThe Herd.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he\u2019s absolutely remarkable. There\u2019s something, though, in baseball, it\u2019s almost a silly childlike romanticism, where we want to talk about the good old days.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, I think it\u2019s disrespectful. I think the quality of baseball players has improved now that the sport is so global. It\u2019s unbelievable. If Ohtani were pitching back during Babe Ruth\u2019s day, I\u2019ve got a feeling he would throw a no-hitter every outing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know the soda jerk from Woolworths would give him trouble. And maybe the part-time milkman would draw a walk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chimney sweeper would take him to a full count. I\u2019m going to go with a guy who has now been an MVP three straight seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

When comparing Ohtani and Ruth\u2019s Baseball-Reference pages, the Red Sox legend has him well beaten in bWAR and years of sustained success.<\/p>\n

However, Cowherd brings up a good point about the era of baseball, since modern athletes and analytics have the sport so optimized that it is harder than ever to produce.<\/p>\n

His stuff and slugging ability, despite his sacrifices, are elite<\/p>\n

Shohei Ohtani\u2019s hitting performance<\/p>\n

After his season debut as a pitcher, Ohtani spoke about his hitting<\/a>, which is still below his usual level. He is getting walked at a high rate, making good swing decisions, but he is not punishing hittable pitches like he usually does.<\/p>\n

Despite his effectiveness, Ohtani was still quite critical of his hitting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been able to get on base, and that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d Ohtani said. \u201cBut on pitches that I should be making impact, I\u2019m not quite able to do that to the extent that I should be able to. That\u2019s the part that I\u2019m not quite happy about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ohtani is always chasing excellence, leading to him pushing all year long, one of the many aspects that make him great.<\/p>\n

\"App<\/p>\n

LA Baseball Report<\/p>\n

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