Bob Costas makes clear statement on Shohei Ohtani’s MLB GOAT status

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Shohei Ohtani has taken the MLB by storm. The Japanese superstar was already great when he joined the Los Angeles Angels, but his status among the best players in the league reached a new dimension when he joined the most iconic team in the city, the Dodgers.

Ohtani has won two MVP awards and two World Series in his first two seasons with the Dodgers. He continues to improve his level, and some already think he has made a strong case to be considered the greatest MLB player ever.

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During a Friday appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” Bob Costas shared his thoughts on whether Ohtani could be considered baseball’s GOAT.

“Yeah, that’s the case to make for him, because there’s nobody like him,” Costas said. “Babe Ruth in a completely different era was a Hall of Fame pitcher when he was primarily pitching. And then he became the greatest slugger of his era. But he didn’t do both of them simultaneously, and he didn’t do both of them against the better talent pool integrated by not just black players but Hispanic players and players from Asia.

“There’s never been anybody like Ohtani and you can make that case. If you want to make the case that there are contemporaries, including Aaron Judge, who have been more productive offensively. Babe Ruth, Tedd Williams might have been more productive hitters than Ohtani, but they didn’t steal bases like Ohtani did. The one year that Ohtani didn’t pitch, that’s when he decided to steal 50 and inaugurated the 50-50 club, which he’s not only the only member, but will likely always be.”

Costas noted that players such as Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Roberto Clemente could be more talented than Ohtani in certain areas of the game, but his combination of batting, pitching and speed is unmatched.

MORE: Mets star Juan Soto makes bold comments about Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani put up a show for fans during a Japan practice

As he and Team Japan prepare for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, Shohei Ohtani showed off his power before facing the Chunichi Dragons. The DH had a rare on-field batting practice on Friday, sending fans into a frenzy with his power.

Team Japan is one of the favorites to win the WBC. Ohtani won MVP honors in the 2023 edition, when his national team beat Team USA in the gold medal game.

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