Fastball

Shohei Ohtani's Ridiculous Season Has Him Right Next to Babe Ruth on Yet Another List

The comparisons between Shohei Ohtani and Babe Ruth just won't stop.

Brady Farkas

Shohei Ohtani's Ridiculous Season Has Him Right Next to Babe Ruth on Yet Another List
Shohei Ohtani's Ridiculous Season Has Him Right Next to Babe Ruth on Yet Another List /
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The Los Angeles Angels lost to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night 5-1 to split the first two games of the three-game series.

Angels star Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-4 in the loss and is now hitting .304 this season. His ridiculous year keeps evoking comparisons of Babe Ruth, another player who spent time as a two-way superstar.

Per ESPN Stats & Info:

Since 1920, there have been over 140 instances of a player ranking in the top-5 in NL or AL in the 3 triple crown batting categories entering August (HR, RBI and BA). 

Only 2 players had appeared in a game as a pitcher prior to August 1: Babe Ruth in 1920 Shohei Ohtani in 2023

Sadly, even with his rankings so high, Ohtani really has no shot at the overall Triple Crown. He's got 39 homers, which lead baseball. He's got 81 RBIs, which are third in baseball behind Matt Olson (90) and Adolis Garcia (85), and while his .304 batting average is excellent, it's light years behind Luis Arraez (.381).

Ohtani does have the fifth-best batting average in the American League, so an AL-only Triple Crown is possible.

He seems a lock to win his second MVP award in three years, having also won the award back in 2021. 

As a pitcher, Ohtani is 9-5 this season with a 3.43 ERA. He's struck out 156 batters in 120.2 innings and remains one of the best strikeout pitchers in the entire game.

The Angels are 56-52 and 5.5 games back in the American League West. They are 3.0 games back in the chase for the AL wild card.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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