Angels News: MLB Analyst Compares Shohei Ohtani to One of Baseball’s Greatest Pitchers

This was some extremely high praise.

Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has received a ton of praise in his career. And rightfully so. Ohtani has transcended the game of baseball, and has changed what it means to be a two-way player.

He's already established himself as the greatest two-way player in MLB history, and has done things on both sides of the ball that players would be happy to do on just one side.

On the MLB Network last week, former MLB pitcher and current analyst Ron Darling had some very high praise for Ohtani. In a long monologue where he said he doesn't think Ohtani is even half as good as he can be, he also compared him to one of the greatest pitchers in the MLB of the last decade.

"When he learns to use 100 [miles per hour] with that slider, we’re talking about Jacob DeGrom, kind of, innings and appearances and starts."

As good as Shohei Ohtani is now, Ron Darling thinks he still hasn't reached his full potential. @Angels | #MLBTonight pic.twitter.com/sRuXSvaU0K

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 6, 2023

Again, it would be high praise for just about anyone to be compared to two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob DeGrom. However, when that person also hits, and does so at an elite level, it's beyond insane to think about.

Ohtani's projections for the 2023 season have him taking yet another step forward. If he hits his projections, or even gets close, there's no way he won't finish the season with his second MVP Award in three years. Talk about a perfect way to enter unrestricted free agency.