{"id":41295,"date":"2025-04-15T08:13:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T08:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=41295"},"modified":"2025-04-15T08:13:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T08:13:21","slug":"dodgers-shohei-ohtani-the-best-player-in-baseball-says-rival-nl-all-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=41295","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani ‘The Best Player in Baseball’ Says Rival NL All-Star"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Apr 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter player Shohei Ohtani (17) prepares in the dugout before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images \/ Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It is no secret that Shohei Ohtani is one of the greatest baseball players of this generation, but a National League All-Star revealed that he believes Ohtani is the best in MLB right now.<\/p>\n

It is no secret that Shohei Ohtani is one of the greatest baseball players of this generation, but a National League All-Star revealed that he believes Ohtani is the best in MLB right now.<\/p>\n

“He’s the best player in baseball,” Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley said. “If you make a mistake, you’re more than likely going to pay for it. There’s a reason why he’s the best.”<\/p>\n

In just his hitting prowess, Ohtani has proven time and time again that he is one of the best ever, and has certainly made pitchers pay.<\/p>\n

With three MVP awards and becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 or more home runs and steal 50 or more bases in a season, Ohtani shined in his first season with the Dodgers on his way to his first World Series championship to cap off an illustrious season.<\/p>\n

Part of the reason that Ohtani’s legend has grown the way it has is that he is doing things MLB hasn’t seen in over a century as he is a lethal starting pitcher when healthy.<\/p>\n

Although he hasn’t debuted on the mound in a Dodgers uniform due to his recovery from a UCL surgery in late 2023, Ohtani is ramping up a return to the pitching rotation.<\/p>\n

Ohtani is a career 3.01 ERA pitcher during five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.<\/p>\n

His best season on the mound, 2022, featured a career-low 2.33 ERA, 219 strikeouts, and just 44 walks. He went 15-9 with a WAR of 6.2 as he finished fourth in Cy Young award voting.<\/p>\n

When Ohtani makes his return to the mound, whenever it may be, he will return to a Dodgers team that currently has 12 pitchers on the injured list. The return is slow and cautious as the team prefers Ohtani’s arm healthy for a deep October run, versus rushing him back for early regular season play.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Apr 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter player Shohei Ohtani (17) prepares in the dugout before the game against the Chicago Cubs… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nDodgers' Shohei Ohtani 'The Best Player in Baseball' Says Rival NL All-Star - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=41295\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani 'The Best Player in Baseball' Says Rival NL All-Star - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Apr 13, 2025; 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