Shohei Ohtani left the sports world speechless after Team Japan’s flawless World Baseball Classic run.
Ohtani took everyone’s breath away with a startling line throughout the tournament both on te mound and at the plate. It was hard not to get caught in the act as everyone was ready to react to Ohtani and his epic 9th-inning showdown with Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout.
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has seen Ohtani rise from a distance. DeRosa currently works as an analyst at MLB Network but he has been featured prominently and has certainly seen his fair share of him. This was his closest opportunity yet. He was left in awe after the game and reacted to his incredible performance.
“I was like, ‘Wow, the baseball world’s gonna win tonight regardless,'” DeRosa told reporters at the post-game press conference.
DeRosa continued to wax poetic and touched on his status as a two-way player. “He is a unicorn to the sport. I think other guys will try it, but I don’t think they’re gonna do it to his level,” DeRosa said.
Shohei Ohtani has simply become one of the best athletes in the world. The 2021 American League MVP is a two-way threat at the plate and on the mound. His skill is unprecedented in the world of baseball. If his showing in the 2023 WBC is any indication, Ohtani might be about to launch into another stratosphere, one currently unknown to us all.
[SNY]
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022