When baseball historians look back at the modern era of Major League Baseball (MLB), there will always be a name that towers above all in terms of sheer versatility, raw talent, and the ability to defy what the game had considered possible for over a century. That name is Shohei Ohtani. Since 2021, Ohtani has turned into the face of baseball not just because of his charisma or his international appeal but because of the mind-blowing statistics he has produced both as a pitcher and a slugger.
What makes this even more astonishing is that in a sport increasingly dominated by specialization—where pitchers focus only on pitching and hitters dedicate their lives to mastering the art of hitting—Ohtani has refused to be confined to a single role. Instead, he has been rewriting the record books on both sides of the ball.
In a single season, he has managed to deliver ace-level pitching performances while simultaneously hitting home runs at a rate that rivals the most feared power hitters in the game. The combination of these two skill sets at an elite level had not been seen since the days of Babe Ruth, and even Ruth abandoned pitching early in his career to focus exclusively on hitting. That is what makes Shohei Ohtani’s stats since 2021 so completely unprecedented—and why every baseball fan around the world has been left in shock.
The Two-Way Phenomenon: A Modern-Day Baseball Marvel
To truly appreciate what Ohtani has done since 2021, one must first understand the demands of the game at the highest level. Pitching in the MLB requires an extraordinary combination of strength, mechanics, precision, and mental fortitude. Hitting, on the other hand, is widely considered one of the most difficult tasks in all of sports; the best hitters in the world fail seven out of ten times and are still considered elite.
Yet Shohei Ohtani has somehow found a way to excel at both simultaneously. He is not merely average at one skill and elite at the other. No, the Japanese superstar is producing numbers that would be worthy of an All-Star selection whether you considered only his pitching or only his hitting. Combine both, and you get something the game has never witnessed in its long history.
Offensive Explosion: Ohtani the Slugger
Since the start of the 2021 season, Ohtani’s power-hitting numbers have placed him among the very best sluggers in baseball. Fans witnessed an onslaught of home runs flying out of ballparks at record paces, with Ohtani often launching baseballs over 450 feet with ease. His bat speed, exit velocity, and plate discipline turned him into a nightmare for pitchers.
In 2021 alone, Shohei Ohtani blasted 46 home runs, drove in 100 runs, and posted an OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) over .950—statistics that put him in the same conversation as legendary sluggers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But unlike those players, Ohtani was also pitching every five or six days and dominating opposing hitters on the mound.
By 2022, pitchers around the league were forced to approach him differently, often trying to avoid giving him anything to hit. Yet Ohtani still finished with 34 home runs, 95 RBIs, and an OPS near .875 while continuing to maintain elite power-hitting metrics such as barrel percentage and hard-hit rate. In 2023, before an elbow injury slowed his pitching appearances, he was on pace to break even more offensive records, including leading the league in home runs for much of the season.
Statistically, Ohtani has put up MVP-caliber offensive seasons while also carrying the workload of a top-of-the-rotation pitcher. That duality is what makes his numbers so stunning: if he were only a hitter, he would still be one of the best in the game. But he is not just a hitter—he is one of the most dominant two-way players in the history of sports.
Pitching Dominance: Ohtani the Ace
On the mound, Shohei Ohtani has showcased electric stuff that rivals the best pitchers in the league. His fastball routinely touches 100 mph, while his devastating splitter and slider leave hitters baffled. He strikes out batters at an elite rate while limiting hard contact, an incredible accomplishment given the offensive era baseball has entered in recent years.
In 2021, while hitting 46 home runs, Ohtani also posted a 3.18 ERA over 130 innings pitched, striking out 156 batters. Those numbers alone would have earned him recognition as one of the better pitchers in the league. But by 2022, he had taken his pitching dominance to another level.
Ohtani finished the 2022 season with a 2.33 ERA, 219 strikeouts in just 166 innings, and a WHIP under 1.00—statistics that placed him firmly in the Cy Young Award conversation. To put this in perspective, those are the kind of numbers produced by pitchers who dedicate their entire careers to mastering the craft, yet Ohtani was doing this while simultaneously being one of the most feared hitters in the game.
Even in 2023, before his elbow injury halted his pitching season, Ohtani was posting strikeout rates over 11 per nine innings and limiting opponents to batting averages under .200. His pitching metrics—from velocity to spin rates—consistently ranked among the elite, proving that his dominance was not a fluke but a product of exceptional skill and preparation.
The Historical Context: Babe Ruth Comparisons and Beyond
Whenever a two-way player emerges in baseball, comparisons to Babe Ruth inevitably follow. Ruth, after all, was the original two-way superstar, dominating as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before becoming the most iconic slugger in baseball history with the New York Yankees.
However, a closer look at the numbers reveals that even Ruth’s two-way prowess cannot match what Shohei Ohtani has done since 2021. Ruth stopped pitching regularly after 1919, focusing almost exclusively on hitting because the physical demands of doing both were simply too great. Ohtani, on the other hand, has managed to thrive as a full-time starting pitcher while also serving as a middle-of-the-order slugger for multiple seasons in the modern era, where athletes are bigger, stronger, and more specialized than ever before.
In fact, advanced analytics suggest that Ohtani’s Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a two-way player since 2021 rivals or even exceeds what most MVP candidates produce as full-time position players or pitchers. The sheer value he brings to his team on both sides of the ball is unlike anything baseball fans have witnessed in over a century.
MVP Seasons and Global Impact
It is no surprise that Shohei Ohtani was named the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2021 after his historic season, and he finished as a top MVP candidate again in 2022 and 2023. His performances have transcended statistical debates; he has become a global ambassador for the sport.
Fans from Japan to the United States to Latin America tune in to watch Ohtani play, not just because he is great but because he represents the impossible becoming possible. His presence has boosted television ratings, merchandise sales, and even attendance at road games, as fans flock to see history being made in real-time.
Moreover, Ohtani’s dominance has inspired a new generation of players and coaches to rethink the old baseball philosophy that discouraged two-way development. For decades, young pitchers were told to stop hitting to avoid injury, and talented hitters were told to abandon pitching to focus on offense. Now, thanks to Ohtani’s success, teams are exploring the possibility of developing more two-way players for the future.
The 2021–2023 Legacy: A Statistical Earthquake
The period from 2021 to 2023 will forever be remembered as the era when Shohei Ohtani shattered preconceived notions of what a baseball player could be. His offensive numbers rival the best power hitters of his generation, while his pitching statistics compare favorably to perennial Cy Young contenders.
No player in modern history has combined 40+ home runs with 200+ strikeouts on the mound in the same season—until Ohtani did it. No player has forced analysts to rewrite record books and rethink MVP criteria quite like Ohtani has in recent years.
Even injuries, which have occasionally slowed him down, have not diminished the awe surrounding his accomplishments. If anything, they highlight just how demanding his dual role truly is and how extraordinary it is that he has maintained such elite performance on both sides for multiple seasons.
Conclusion: The Legend Continues
Shohei Ohtani’s mind-blowing stats as both a pitcher and a slugger since 2021 have redefined what is possible in professional baseball. He is not just a superstar; he is a once-in-a-century talent whose impact will be felt long after he retires.
As fans, analysts, and even fellow players continue to marvel at his numbers, one thing is certain: the era of Shohei Ohtani has changed baseball forever. Whether he is striking out batters with a 100-mph fastball or crushing towering home runs into the upper deck, Ohtani embodies the very essence of greatness.
Baseball may never see another player quite like him, and that is what makes his journey—and his staggering statistics—so unforgettable.
