When the Los Angeles Dodgers made history by giving Shohei Ohtani the richest contract in the history of sports, 10-year, $700 million, no one really batted an eye at the previously unheard of amount of money Ohtani was given.
The reason was clear: the value of having an All-Star caliber hitter and pitcher in one person and one roster spot was incalculable. Despite the fact that teams knew Ohtani was not going to pitch in 2024, there was already an expectation around the league that he could demand a king’s ransom for his services as he entered his first free agency.
Ohtani is just 52 games into his ginormous contract and has yet to throw a pitch for the Dodgers, but with the way he has been hitting this season, it doesn’t seem ridiculous to say that L.A. can get their money’s worth even if Ohtani never throws a single pitch for them.
This conversation has not occurred between Ohtani and the Dodgers, but it is rumored that Ohtani could be open to the idea of being a full-time hitter if the Dodgers were ever to approach the topic, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY:
If the Los Angeles Dodgers ask Shohei Ohtani to give up pitching and be an everyday outfielder in the future, two persons familiar with Ohtani’s thinking say he’d likely be amenable.
Ohtani obviously loves hitting, and is perhaps the best in the game to do it, but those close to him say that he doesn’t have the same passion for pitching as hitting. He does both simply because he can do it.
Ohtani’s transition to a full-time position player is most likely not going to happen, at least not right away. The Dodgers would be doing themselves and Ohtani a disservice if they didn’t at least give him a shot to show what he can still be capable of as a pitcher in the future.
Toward the end of his contract is where this argument holds more weight. It could be a decision that is made as a way to extend Ohtani’s career longevity down the line.
Shohei Ohtani’s offensive dominance
When looking at the MLB offensive leaderboards, there aren’t too many categories where Ohtani’s name isn’t visible at the top spot or inside the top five.
His numbers received a big boost from the performances that earned him National League Player of the Month back on May 6. That week he led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and on-base plus slugging.
