Shohei Ohtani Forced to Confront “Blasphemous” Remark as Aaron Judge Comparison Reignites Amid Cardinals Upset

It’s been a rough outing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in St. Louis because their bats were ice-cold. After three losses to the Cardinals, they are on the verge of a three-game sweep. They went just 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position for both games. The only one run on Saturday came on a wild pitch while Freeman was struck out. He went 0-for-3, and the rest of the lineup? Well, they didn’t fare any better. But on the bright side, Shohei Ohtani took another step toward rewriting baseball history yet again. 

Ohtani took the mound on Saturday for his second live batting practice since his elbow surgery. The cameras were ready, and the teammates gathered around. Because this isn’t just any rehab session–this was Shohei.

Now, is this exciting? Sure! But are the Dodgers nervous? Yes, for sure! Because there is no denying that Ohtani’s bat is as important as his arm. And the 50-50 he managed last season is proof of that. So can they risk injuring the blinding star of the team? That is the elephant in the room. And well, no one put the situation best in words than longtime MLB insider Jeff Fletcher.

Fletcher mentioned at Dodgers Nation that, “This is going to sound blasphemous, he’s (Ohtani) not really unique…. I mean, as a hitter, he’s not even as good as Aaron Judge.” You might be thinking- is this an evil joke? Because Ohtani is great both on and off the field. But if you listen carefully, he is citing the bitter truth. And who would know better than Fletcher- he wrote a book on Ohtani! Fletcher explained that as a hitter, Ohtani is no doubt elite, but he is not the best. For him, Ohtani is not even better than Aaron Judge, given that Judge plays the outfield, too. So Ohtani, without his pitching, would be a great bat, but every season, baseball sees three or four hitters of Hall of Fame caliber—the league already has a surplus of them, so not unique.

What, according to Fletcher, made Ohtani a once-in-a-century marvel was the combination. Of an ace on the mound and a slugger at the plate. That, Fletcher says, is the magic no one else brings. “There are zero people that do what he did before, which is be an ace pitcher and a really good hitter, so I would love, just as a baseball fan, I would love to see that again,” said Fletcher. So while the Dodgers and the fans might be anxious to get Ohtani back on the hill, it’s not just for the stats. It’s also the spectacle. One way you realize that is maybe to remind yourself how insane the stretch from 2021 to 2023 was when Shohei Ohtani was with the Angels. A full-time pitcher and a full-time DH—Ohtani did things almost unseen in the baseball world.

And now, given the updates, maybe… the day is not far from coming back, except not he will be in blues. And while his return is on the horizon, another Japanese player is holding the tower for the team.

Yamamoto channels the spirit of Shohei Ohtani with insane dominance

While Ohtani reminds us of the limitless possibilities of baseball, Yamamoto is ensuring everyone doesn’t forget about consistency and about precision. Since debuting in 2024, Yamamoto has become the Dodgers’ undisputed ace and a rock, to be fair. He recently achieved a remarkable feat, throwing six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, the kind of dominance that is difficult to mimic.

Jun 4, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

That is not just impressive; it is rare. In fact, no Dodgers starter has touched this kind of record since 2019. And Yamamoto has already done it four times this season alone. Through 11 starts, the numbers speak for themselves—a league-leading 0.906 WHIP, 95 strikeouts, and an ERA sitting at an eye-watering 1.97. And right now it’s not just about the stat, but the amount of stability he is providing, given several pitchers of the Dodgers are sidelined with injury, is insane. Yamamoto has not even missed a single scheduled start.

Plus, he has postseason experience now, and the way he blanked the Yankee offense and struck Judge out not once but twice in the World Series—that is something not many can forget. He showed that he is worth the $325 million that the Dodgers are paying him. And sure, he had had some rough days, but his ERA barely took a dent, because that is how good he has been! Sure, in MLB terms, he is a rookie, but he is doing his job better than even veterans. The Dodgers, if unwilling to get Ohtani, can do so because Yamamoto is holding the fort for them. Don’t you think so?

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