MLB Network analyst utters most absurd anti-Shohei Ohtani take yet
According to Alanna Rizzo of MLB Network, LA Angels' two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani cannot be the best player in baseball "because he's a pitcher." Yes, she literally said this:
Ohtani outclassed Mike Trout on MLB Network's Top 100 Players list, but according to Rizzo, that's incorrect due to him being a pitcher. This makes as little sense as possible. Does she realize that Ohtani isn't even primarily a pitcher? Yes, he's a pitcher, and a great one at that.
He even was the AL All-Star Game starter last year on the mound because of that greatness. But he also started the All-Star Game as the Designated Hitter at the same time. It's because he also hit .257/.372/.592 (0.965 OPS) as the best offensive weapon in the game. Stealing 26 bases, he also hit 46 home runs, drove in 100, and scored 103 runs of his own.
Shohei Ohtani is actually even better as a hitter than a pitcher for the LA Angels.
Also, Shohei Ohtani even played in the outfield for seven games with the LA Angels last year. He's more than just a pitcher AND hitter. There truly is no defense for this embarrassing take. Unfortunately, it was a few days after April Fool's Day, so there's no excuses there.
Anyways, Ohtani is clearly the best player in baseball. It's ridiculous to claim otherwise. In addition to his offensive numbers mentioned earlier, he led his team in innings and starts, posting a 3.18 ERA to go along with a 1.090 WHIP and 141 ERA+. The 6'4", 210 lb monster is also the fastest player in the American League according to his peers.
This isn't even any sort of valid argument at all. In fact, nobody knows what to call it. Everyone, however, knows what to call Shohei Ohtani--and that's the best ballplayer on planet Earth right now.