Shohei Ohtani disrespect transcends sports as worst-run NFL organization weighs in

We talk about bringing baseball to a new generation and expanding its global footprint. No star has done so more successfully than Shohei Ohtani.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star finally scaled the mountaintop in 2024, going nuclear in the postseason to secure L.A.'s victory over the New York Yankees. Sure, he has plenty of help, but few individual stars shine brighter than Ohtani. After eight years without a playoffs appearance in his stint with the Angels, Ohtani met the moment each and every time for the Dodgers.

Last season will go down as one of the greatest offensive performances ever. He was absent on the mound as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, but Ohtani put up the greatest DH season in recent memory — probably ever — on his way to a third MVP award.

He hit .310 with an NL-leading 1.036 OPS, logging 54 home runs, 130 RBI, and 59 stolen bases. Before the 2025 season ends, Ohtani is expected to take the mound again, where he has a career 3.01 ERA and a fourth-place Cy Young finish on his résumé.

You will be hard-pressed to find a better player in the sport. Very few exist in the sports world at large, to the extent that we can even compare across different games.

So, when Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry breaks out the Shohei comp for a player with zero NFL experience, do yourself a favor and ignore it.

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Andrew Berry compares potential Browns draft pick Travis Hunter to Shohei Ohtani

"It's a little bit like Ohtani, right," Berry said in reference to Travis Hunter's ability to play both wide receiver and cornerback. "When he's playing one side, he's an outstanding player. If he's a pitcher, he's a hitter, he's an outstanding player. You obviously get a unicorn if you use [Hunter] both ways."

Look, the essence of this statement is true. Hunter has unicorn potential. He's one of the best cornerback prospects in recent memory and he's a damn good receiver, with a level of quickness and hand-eye coordination few athletes ever achieve. There is a world in which he becomes one of the NFL's most unique and impactful weapons as a result.

That said, we have not seen Hunter on a professional football field yet. Not every team sounds 100 percent convinced in him as a true two-way player in the NFL. He played almost every snap on a weekly basis for Colorado, but that game plan won't translate to the pros. Hunter is also very clearly superior at one position (CB) compared to the other (WR).

Now, is Ohtani a better hitter than he is a pitcher? Absolutely, but he's damn near elite in both departments at full strength. There is also just a fundamental difference is how these sports operate. Ohtani only pitches once if every fifth game when healthy, but when he does pitch, he is involved in every pitch, every play, for however many innings he is on the mound. Hunter might deter 10-plus passes in a given outing, but his actual plays on ball are limited to a handful each night as a DB. As a wideout, the odds of Hunter even reaching Ohtani's level of prolific production are next to zero.

More than anything wrong with Hunter, this just feels like a profound overstatement. Hunter's a cool prospect and he's a great pick for the Browns at No. 2, in theory. But he will not enter the GOAT conversation, barring an unforeseen ascent. So, unless Cleveland switches Hunter's offensive position to quarterback, I'd say we should put this particular equivalence to bed.