The future of Shohei Ohtani

[bk400]

I think it is interesting that 45% of respondents in a poll of MLB players this year said they would build a team around Ohtani. Aaron Judge was second with 14% of the vote.

And this is a guy who doesn't speak English well, so probably cannot command the clubhouse.

If he has that sort of respect from the players with whom he plays and against whom he competes, it means a lot. And it probably impacts any HOF vote.

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by bk400

I think it is interesting that 45% of respondents in a poll of MLB players this year said they would build a team around Ohtani. Aaron Judge was second with 14% of the vote.

And this is a guy who doesn't speak English well, so probably cannot command the clubhouse.

If he has that sort of respect from the players with whom he plays and against whom he competes, it means a lot. And it probably impacts any HOF vote.

Do you have a link to that poll? Personally I'm surprised Judge is #2 with his injury issues.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by BobbyStrawberry

Do you have a link to that poll? Personally I'm surprised Judge is #2 with his injury issues.

Here it is:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...chose%20Ohtani.

https://theathletic.com/4598257/2023...ansion-ohtani/

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by bk400

Here it is:

https://theathletic.com/4598257/2023...ansion-ohtani/

Thanks - looks like Acuña is #3. That's who I would have guessed would be 2nd. Adley Rutschman #4

[mrreality68]

I think they made a mistake by not trading him. They are going to lose him in the off season and get nothing
They could have traded him and gotten a huge franchise altering return in return.

As for that poll Acuna definitely #2 and Judge lower perhaps still in top 5 to 8 range but with his injury tendencies other jump over him in the rating.
If healthy #2 or 3 but uncertainty of it lowers his standings

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by mrreality68

I think they made a mistake by not trading him. They are going to lose him in the off season and get nothing
They could have traded him and gotten a huge franchise altering return in return.

As for that poll Acuna definitely #2 and Judge lower perhaps still in top 5 to 8 range but with his injury tendencies other jump over him in the rating.
If healthy #2 or 3 but uncertainty of it lowers his standings

I totally agree, Jeff. And I don't think the Angels even make the wildcard this year.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by mrreality68

I think they made a mistake by not trading him. They are going to lose him in the off season and get nothing
They could have traded him and gotten a huge franchise altering return in return.

As for that poll Acuna definitely #2 and Judge lower perhaps still in top 5 to 8 range but with his injury tendencies other jump over him in the rating.
If healthy #2 or 3 but uncertainty of it lowers his standings

Who is going to trade a franchise player for a guy about to become a free agent? The other team might as well just wait and see if they can sign him. Works both ways.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Who is going to trade a franchise player for a guy about to become a free agent? The other team might as well just wait and see if they can sign him. Works both ways.

The other team would not trade a franchise guy if I stated wrong I appologize

I meant they would get just a big Haul of Prospects that that could alter the franchise if those prospects develop and make impact in the MLB for the Angels instead of them getting nothing when He just walks away.

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by bk400

I think it is interesting that 45% of respondents in a poll of MLB players this year said they would build a team around Ohtani. Aaron Judge was second with 14% of the vote.

And this is a guy who doesn't speak English well, so probably cannot command the clubhouse.

If he has that sort of respect from the players with whom he plays and against whom he competes, it means a lot. And it probably impacts any HOF vote.

I don't think one has to speak English to be a leader, personal energy and field performance speaks to core values as a human and ball player.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

I don't think one has to speak English to be a leader, personal energy and field performance speaks to core values as a human and ball player.

I always thought all that locker room stuff was overblown anyhow. You don't win games in the locker room. Leadership is by example on the field.

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I always thought all that locker room stuff was overblown anyhow. You don't win games in the locker room. Leadership is by example on the field.

Locker room negativity can definitely have an affect, ala Barry Bonds/Jeff Kent, Otahni brings more to the plate than that.

[frankbmd]

I wonder what Sadaharu Oh (he is still alive) thinks of Shohei Ohtani.

No one knows what Oh would have accomplished if he had come to major league baseball, but he averaged nearly 40 home runs a year for 22 years in Japan.
Oh never won a NPB game or even pitched in one. Oh walked a lot and Shohei is starting to see his walks increase as well. Comparing Oh to Ruth as a slugger is a speculative task. Not many would give the GOAT nod to Oh though.

If the Angels wanted to improve Shohei's offensive counting stats, they should have picked up Gehrig before the trading deadline to bat behind him. Of course a healthy and younger Trout might help in that regard, but Trout and Gehrig are post-prime and post-mortem at this point.

Shohei's future career in baseball is unknown, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the next 10 years. Now we can only guess and not consider our (judge)ments too seriously.

Trivia: Until I checked Oh's stats this morning I didn't realize the Sadaharu's mother was Japanese and his father was Chinese. In China he is known as
Wang Chen-chih. OH MY!

Trivia: Oh was the pitching ace of his high school team as though, but never pitched in the NPB.

Trivia: Oh competed in a home run derby in Japan with Hank Aaron, that Hank won 10-9.

[seanofjapan]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

I wonder what Sadaharu Oh (he is still alive) thinks of Shohei Ohtani.

No one knows what Oh would have accomplished if he had come to major league baseball, but he averaged nearly 40 home runs a year for 22 years in Japan.

Oh was interviewed in Japanese media during the WBC about Ohtani and made some generic compliments about his performance. Oh is a front office executive for the Hawks (whom he used to manage), who were rivals of Ohtani's team (Fighters) so they've never actually met.

Back in the early days of NPB just before Oh came up it wasn't uncommon for players in Japan to do what Ohtani is doing - be both a star pitcher and star batter.

The guy who had the single season hit record in NPB before Ichiro broke it (Fumio Fujimura) also had a 34-11 career record with a 2.43 ERA on the mound.

Michio Nishizawa, who led the league in batting average and RBIs in 1952 also had 60 career wins on the mound (though playing for the Dragons he had a losing record).

There are a few other HOFers with similar hitting/pitching resumes. By the time Oh came up in 1959 it was a lot rarer and eventually died out until Ohtani came along.