Braves legend gives Shohei Ohtani the best praise yet

Atlanta Braves legend Greg Maddux had plenty of good things to say about Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani.

Before you even think it — no, this is not some bizarre attempt to recruit Shohei Ohtani to the Atlanta Braves. Alex Anthopoulos may explore that option this offseason when Ohtani is a free agent, but Maddux’s praise alone isn’t enough to sway Shohei when he’ll likely have more lucrative offers.

Then again, maybe words of affirmation is Ohtani’s love language.

Maddux is impressed with how capable Ohtani is in all facets of the game. He’s an incredible pitcher and hitter, and arguably an MVP-caliber player at both individually.

Braves: Greg Maddux has nothing but praise for Shohei Ohtani

“He’s one of the top two or three pitchers in the game and he’s one of the top two or three power hitters in the game,” Maddux said, per ESPN. “We’ve never seen a player like that before. And it’s definitely fun to watch. You can watch him throw a shutout one night and go deep the next night. It’s kind of special to see a guy that good just dominate as much as he does.”

Maddux is spot-on here, if not a bit heavy-handed. Yes, Ohtani is MVP caliber at the plate and on the mound. He’s not Barry Bonds, but he can deliver at an All-Star level in both facets of the game. The last few seasons, he’s been an elite player when healthy.

“He kind of reminds you of Nolan Ryan, and then he reminds you of freaking Barry Bonds,” Maddux continued. “He’s both of those guys. I mean he’s got great stuff and he can hit a home run with the best of anybody. Nobody else has done it before; I mean the last guy was who, maybe Babe Ruth? Nobody’s been able to do that.”

Ruth kept up this pace for several seasons, but it remains to be seen if Ohtani can make a career out of it. Injuries are always a concern for a player with this much on his/her shoulders. In Ohtani’s case, it should at the very least earn him a record contract next offseason.