Mix one of the game's elite offensive threats with one of the most talented pitchers. He's capable of crushing eye-popping home runs and striking out the side in the same inning. Shohei Ohtani is a unique two-way talent and it is impossible to not be a fan of what he's doing on the field. To top it all off, he is constantly having fun -- an energy the league should only benefit from in the years to come.
- Aaron Somers
FanSided Senior Director of Contributor Operations
What we’ll remember about this fandom a decade from now
Shohei Ohtani is changing the way we look at what MLB players are capable of. Forever kids have had to choose between a focus on pitching or hitting and suddenly Ohtani comes along and proves you can excel at doing both. He's going to inspire a new generation of young players who aspire to do more on the field, he's led to rules changes in MLB, and one could argue that he's just coming into the prime seasons of his career. Ten years from now we may look back at him as one of the greatest to have ever played the game.
What was the icon or totem for this fandom this year?
Goat emoji + unicorn emoji mashed into one mythical and magical creature. Ohtani is just that, the greatest to ever do both at once and a total unicorn, unique in so many ways it's hard to believe.