""I've said this a lot. I think he's underrated," said Friedman. "I just don't think the human brain can comprehend what he does and how difficult it is and how elite he is at both - and the passion he has for hitting and the passion he has for pitching. It doesn't seem like there's enough passion to go around. But there is with him.""
"To be an elite baseball player, or even a professional baseball player at any level requires a serious amount of dedication to the craft and passion for doing the little things each day. That must be doubled, or at least significantly increased when someone is both pitching and hitting at a remarkable rate. Ohtani has a 2.87 ERA this season through 47 innings of work, striking out 62 batters and walking just nine."
Shohei Ohtani excels as both a hitter and a pitcher, combining multiple MVP-caliber seasons with elite pitching metrics. Andrew Friedman calls him underrated and emphasizes the rarity and difficulty of mastering both hitting and pitching with equal passion. Ohtani posted a 2.87 ERA through 47 innings with 62 strikeouts and nine walks after recovering from a September 2023 Tommy John revision and later undergoing labrum surgery on the opposite arm. He returned to pitch by June 2025 and produced outstanding offensive numbers, leading MLB in runs and ranking atop NL slugging and OPS while hitting a career-high 55 home runs. His .056 NLDS batting average is a notable postseason concern.
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