Shohei Ohtani could challenge traditional MLB wisdom

Conventional wisdom in Major League Baseball might get an update when Japanese dynamo Shohei Ohtani arrives in America.

When Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani makes his way to Major League Baseball, there’s a good chance that he might change some commonly held perceptions along the way.

Given how long MLB has been in existence, the sport’s relationship with Japanese players is in its infancy compared to the international funnel of players from the Latin American, Caribbean and South American pipelines. Though there haven’t been as many Japanese players as there have been from other countries, there are quite a few notable standouts. Chief among them: Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki and Yu Darvish.

But there’s talk of a player rising in Japan who is being likened to Babe Ruth, and he’s putting up numbers that would make both Clayton Kershaw and Mike Trout envious.

Enter Shohei Ohtani

Sports Illustrated has done a feature on the intriguing phenom from Japan. Like Babe Ruth, he pitches and he hits, and he’s lights out in both categories.

Last season he posted a 10-4 record in 20 appearances with a 1.86 ERA. He also averages 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings, which is more than Kershaw, who averages 9.80. MLB’s all-time leader is Randy Johnson, who threw an average of 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings of work. He also has a 100-mph heater in his arsenal.

When he’s on the other side of the plate as a designated hitter, Ohtani had 22 home runs last season in 382 plate appearances. As SI points out, that is better than both Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.

Ohtani had a chance to come over to play for an American team at age18, but there was a lot of competition and the deals cooled. Four years later, the 22-year-old is looking to make a trip across the Pacific. He’s less interested in money and more interested in being able to do what he loves. Namely, being a pitcher and a hitter.

MLB has really shied away from players who want to pitch and hit, mostly because their arms are too valuable to put at risk. But it’s not uncommon for young guys moving through Little League, high school ball and college to be very good pitchers and hitters until they’re told to make a decision. Hit, or pitch.

Could Ohtani, the Japanese Babe Ruth, signal a shift that will lead to a surge in pitchers who can hit?

Conventional Wisdom

My grandfather used to watch Randy Johnson pitch for the fledgling Arizona Diamondbacks. He’d point at the television and say “You see how big that guy is? He’s a monster, but he can’t hit for beans.”

And it was true. Johnson’s 6-foot-10, 225-pound frame and his wicked arm earned him the nickname Big Unit. But despite a Hall of Fame pitching career, posting a 303-166 record with a 3.29 ERA over his 22 years in the big leagues, Johnson couldn’t hit for beans. Adjusted for time spent in the American League, Johnson had a .125 batting average with one home run that came during the 2003 season with the Diamondbacks. But by the look of him, a guy that size should be able to crush the ball.

Fast forward to 2017.

One of the most thrilling Opening Day games was the San Francisco Giants loss at Arizona. It wasn’t the Diamondbacks’ come-from-behind win over the perennial NL West division powerhouse that had baseball fans excited. It was Giants ace Madison Bumgarner sending two shots into the stands.

Bumgarner has collected 16 home runs in nine years. Notably, he was denied a chance to participate in the Home Run Derby because his arm is too valuable.

High school recruits often arrive on their college teams with live arms and hot bats. But at some point during winter ball, as the team gets ready for the long spring college season, those guys are forced to make a decision.

But what if those guys didn’t have to choose? What if they could develop both skill sets? How would that impact the future of the game?

Challenging Conventional Wisdom

Guys like Ohtani prove that you can indeed have it both ways. Not all pitchers will want to develop their bats and would rather focus on their sliders, and that’s fine. But the possibility of players that are aces in both categories could lead to some intriguing possibilities for teams dealing with the end-of-season slump.

Ohtani might be an anomaly now, but if he makes the move to America, he might trigger a shift in thinking that will see more young guys develop themselves on the mound and at the plate.

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The shift wouldn’t happen overnight. Ohtani would have to be phenomenal, all but forcing the hands of those in power. His salary will also be a big factor. Ohtani is good enough to command a salary in the eight to possibly nine-figure range. His performance, and the salary that he commands as a result of that performance, will be the determining factors as to the kind of impact Ohtani will have.

In the meantime, there’s no question that Ohtani will be fun to watch once he gets here.