A popular podcaster released an interesting statistic this week that makes Shohei Ohtani's fantastic 2024 numbers seem surprisingly overrated.
In the final month of the regular season, Shohei Ohtani is a strong favorite to win his third Most Valuable Player Award. And his first in the National League. Although the Japanese superstar is not pitching this season, his numbers in 2024 are unmatched in the NL.
Related Topics: Los Angeles Dodgers Game Today – Get Time and Channel for the Dodgers Game Tonight
Heading into today's MLB games, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger leads the NL in home runs, runs scored and WAR. And he's second in RBIs and stolen bases. After getting a $700 million contract — mostly deferred — over the winter, many in the Dodgers organization likely feel the four-time All-Star has lived up to his expensive contract.
And that's a difficult perspective to argue with. Although many currently consider Ohtani a baseball god, he's putting up impressive statistics during a stretch where he's hitting at his worst in the MLB. A better explanation for why some of Ohtani's numbers are a bit overstated comes from a segment on a recent edition of “The Dan LeBatard Show.”
Shohei Ohtani stats (2024): .295 average, .380 OBP, .619 SLG, .999 OPS, 42 HR, 95 RBI, 104 R, 42 SB, 69 BB
Shohei Ohtani's 2024 season is as good as Barry Bonds' 11th best year
“Shohei Ohtani is the biggest star in the sport and he's hitting 40 (home runs)/40 (stolen bases) in 25 games faster than anyone else,” LeBatard began. “And he did it with a walk-off grand slam.” [But] According to MT Money DFS, Ohtani is having the 11th best offensive season of Barry Bonds' career.”
The stats don't mean Ohtani isn't an elite talent or a future Hall of Famer, but the reaction to his numbers has some suggesting he's one of the best offensive players of all time. Compared to other great hitters, however, his numbers pale in comparison to a legend like Bonds.
The San Francisco Giants great hit 30 or more home runs 14 times and 40 or more eight times, including a legendary 73 in 2001. He also had 12 seasons with 100 or more RBIs, nine with 30 or more stolen bases and five years with 140 or more walks.
Of course, the use of performance-enhancing drugs may have affected those numbers in certain years. But compared to the immortal offensive players, Ohtani falls short of the elite players. It's his ability to throw and hit at a high level that makes him a once-in-a-lifetime talent, but in 2024 he'll be able to throw again after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
Related: Where do Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers land in our latest MLB power rankings?
