Fans know Shohei Ohtani to be a person of grit, gracefulness, and great dedication. These three traits are certainly part of the reason why Ohtani has been able to hone his two-way skills. However, he didn’t get into the league games with big dreams; certainly not big enough to make him believe that he’d always be able to use the ball and the bat the way he does now.

Ohtani is currently held back from the field following an elbow surgery he is recovering from. Before that happened, he was ruling the diamond with his exceptional two-way skills. He pitches with the same integrity he displays in his batting form. It makes sense why people believe him to be the greatest slugger in the world. In the years before his MLB stardom, Ohtani never thought he’d be able to put his skills to use in his professional life. And he has always dreamed of being known for both his hitting and pitching styles. What made him think that he couldn’t do that in the kingdom of MLB?

Shohei Ohtani believed teams would never let him “do both”

In the years before his MLB stardom, Ohtani used to play for the Nippon Ham Fighters team in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Before being chosen by the fighters for his elite two-way skills, he never thought that it would be possible to do both on a Japanese professional team, or Major Leagues for that matter. Having a two-way player is rare in Japan, but putting them to good use was virtually unheard of.

“I can only imagine that it would be a tougher decision for an MLB team to let me do both,” Ohtani once revealed to Bleacher Report. Young Ohtani believed that finding a team that would allow him to use both his skills to the fullest would be tougher than it was to find in Japan.

“Personally, I would love to do both in the MLB, too,” he stated. Shohei was almost certain that the organization he’d be playing for would probably be skeptical of letting him play both at bat and on the pitch. Well, isn’t MLB thankful for proving to have a different plan for him on its mind?

The Unicorn of the Diamond, Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani scored 70 out of 70 in Raw Power and 80 for 80 throws with a 60 Speed, the highest, in a FanGraphs Prospects report. This season alone, he gained a high 6.6 WAR with an outstanding slugging percentage of .654. He has been one of the few players who has been consistent with his performances since their high school days; he continued his oomph factor of two-way style throughout the Japanese and Minor Leagues, as well.

Read More: Shohei Ohtani’s Biggest Attribute From His NPB Days That Led to His MLB Two-Way Stardom

Let’s hope for a speedy recovery and a fresh start for the fan favorite Shotime in the upcoming seasons, shall we?

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