Throughout spring training the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable, breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we picked our favorite MLB broadcasters. This week we’re going to tackle Shohei Ohtani’s greatness.
Is Shohei Ohtani the greatest player ever?
R.J. Anderson: Yes, and I don’t think there’s a compelling argument to be made to the contrary. We’ve never seen a professional player simultaneously hit and pitch for this long at these levels. That’s without taking into account that Ohtani is playing against the best competition the sport has ever seen. It’s also without acknowledging that he’s doing it while his opponents have more access to video, data, and other technology than at any point prior. Ohtani should’ve been overexposed by now — physically or otherwise. The fact that he’s not tells you all you need to know.
Matt Snyder: I’ve been saying for years that he’s the most talented player in MLB history. I don’t even think there’s a discussion on that, given the two-way success in a much more difficult era than anyone else has even come close to matching. Through that lens, it’s fair to say that he’s the best player ever. Perhaps I’m getting too pedantic here, but “greatest” player ever feels like it needs more of a longevity component for me. Willie Mays has 23 years on his resume, as does Henry Aaron. We can just use those two and underline the point by saying Ohtani has nine MLB seasons. Even if we loop in his work in Japan’s NPB, that’s 13 seasons.
Mike Axisa: I think so. He’s clearly the most talented player ever. I’m not sure there’s an argument to be made otherwise. Pitching and hitting at this high a level has never been done before (no one’s even come close). I understand the longevity argument for “greatest ever” and yes, I wish he had 20 years in the league, but I don’t think we’ll ever see another player like Ohtani in our lifetimes. He is 1 of 1 and that to me is enough to get the “greatest ever” title.
Dayn Perry: Yeah, I guess any answer flows from how you define “greatest.” I sort of lean toward Snyder’s viewpoint. I think Ohtani’s two-way excellence in the contemporary era, when the sport is played at its highest and most competitive level ever, is the greatest and most impressive achievement in the history of baseball. Does that make him the greatest ever? Maybe. Personally, though, I want to see him amass a larger body of work before calling him the GOAT. That shouldn’t take too long, at least if he maintains his recent level for a bit longer.
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