Rival MLB Executives Marvel at Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Amid Scandal

Maren Angus-Coombs | May 2, 2024

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani has displayed incredible tunnel vision through the first 30-plus games of the season. He has managed to produce superhuman numbers while dealing with off-the-field distractions.

As of Thursday, Ohtani has a career-best 185 OPS+. He also has an incredible 22 extra-base hits in his first 32 games. More impressive is that his 22 extra-base hits were tied for the second most by any player in the modern era who had just changed teams and the most in 98 years since Hack Wilson joined the Chicago Cubs.

The Athletic sent out a survey to executives across Major League Baseball in exchange for anonymity.

“I don’t know why it’s not a bigger story on Planet Earth what this guy is doing,” one exec said about Ohtani's ability to play at this level while dealing with what some would call distractions."

It takes a strong person to continue performing their job at an elite level while dealing with a federal investigation that included his former companion and interpreter stealing millions of dollars on illegal sports betting.

“It’s incredible,” another said. “He moved to a new environment and a new team. He had about as big a distraction as you could possibly have. And he seems unaffected by it. His ability to focus and just be incredible is one of a kind. It’s unique. Nobody can do what he does.”

Through 32 games, Ohtani is slashing .336/.399/.618 with seven home runs and 19 runs batted in.