Angels star Shohei Ohtani. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
MLB legend Alex Rodriguez stops mid sentence after learning what Shohei Ohtani did in his latest outing.
The world is still adjusting to the fact that Shohei Ohtani can not be measured by normal standards. Trying to compare him to any athlete outside of Babe Ruth will make any analyst look foolish.
That was the case on Sunday when Alex Rodriguez learned about Ohtani’s most recent outing.
Rodriguez was going on about how it is very tough to carry elite performances deep into an MLB season because it is so much longer than other pro sports. He was speaking specifically about Ohtani at the time, who has been elite both at the plate and on the mound. That is when play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian alerted Rodriguez that Ohtani delivered another elite performance in the Angels 142nd game of the season.
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The performance acknowledged was from Sunday’s 3-2 Angels loss to the Oakland Athletics. Ohtani started the game going eight innings, recording 10 strikeouts and only allowing two runs.
Just another day at the ballpark for the two-way sensation who has a 3.28 ERA in 22 games as a starting pitcher. He also has contributed 44 home runs and 23 stolen bases on the year.
So if it wasn’t clear before, Alex Rodriguez certainly made it clear yesterday. You can’t approach Shohei Ohtani with traditional expectations. He’s shown us time and time again that he’s unique. Sometimes you just have to shut up and enjoy greatness.