A popular podcaster revealed an interesting stat this week that makes Shohei Ohtani’s fantastic numbers in 2024 seem surprisingly overrated.
Heading into the final month of the regular season, Shohei Ohtani is a strong favorite to win his third Most Valuable Player Award. And his first in the National League. While the Japanese superstar is not pitching this season, his numbers in 2024 are second to none in the NL.
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Heading into the MLB games today, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger leads the NL in home runs, runs scored, and WAR. And he is second in RBIs and stolen bases. After getting a $700 million — mostly deferred — contract in the winter, many around the Dodgers organization probably feel the four-time All-Star has lived up to his pricey pact.
And that is a hard perspective to debate. However, although Ohtani is a baseball god to many right now, he is putting up impressive stats during a low point in hitting around MLB. A better way to explain why some of Ohtani’s numbers are a bit overhyped comes by way of a segment during a recent edition of “The Dan LeBatard Show.”
Shohei Ohtani stats (2024): .295 AVG, .380 OBP, .619 SLG, .999 OPS, 42 HR, 95 RBI, 104 R, 42 SB, 69 BB
Shohei Ohtani’s 2024 season is as good as Barry Bonds’ 11th-best year
“Shohei Ohtani is the biggest star in the sport, and he gets to 40 (homers)/40 (stolen bases) 25 games faster than anyone else,” LeBatard began by saying. “And does it on a walk off Grandslam. [But] according to MT Money DFS, Ohtani is having the 11th-best offensive season of Barry Bonds’ career.”
The statistic doesn’t mean Ohtani isn’t an elite talent and a future Hall-of-Famer. But reactions to his numbers have some suggesting he is one of the greatest offensive players of all time. However, when put in perspective compared to other great hitters, his numbers pale in comparison a legend like Bonds.
The San Francisco Giants great hit 30 or more home runs 14 times and 40 or more eight times. Including an iconic 73 in 2001. He also had 12 seasons with 100 or more RBIs, nine with 30 or more stolen bases, and five years with 140 or more walks.
Of course, the use of PEDs may have affected those numbers in certain years. But compared to the offensive immortals, Ohtani trails the elites. It is his ability to pitch and hit at a high level that makes him a once-in-a-lifetime talent, but in 2024 he has been able to pitch following Tommy John surgery last year.
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