A 'once in a century talent' combining pitching and hitting, like Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, is rarely found in Major League Baseball history. Equipped with top-notch skills as both a pitcher and hitter, he is undoubtedly an icon of this era.

However, when purely considering hitting production, there are legends that can surpass or rival Ohtani. One of them is Barry Bonds, the all-time home run record holder in Major League Baseball and a former teammate of manager Roberts.

On the 14th (Korea time), according to the U.S. sports media 'Sports Illustrated', manager Dave Roberts compared Ohtani, whom he currently manages, to Bonds, a former teammate, mentioning the differences between the two players and Bonds' greatness.

Manager Roberts noted, 'Both are top-level players as hitters,' adding, 'Barry's swing was more concise. While he can be compared adequately to Ohtani in terms of power, frankly, Barry is the best hitter I've ever seen.'

'He recorded a batting average above .300 every year, boasted tremendous on-base percentages, and was a player who could hit three home runs in a week with just three swings. You won't see a player like that again,' he added.

Today, Ohtani and Aaron Judge are mentioned as sluggers representing Major League Baseball, but manager Roberts emphasized, 'Barry was in a league of his own.'

Looking at the overall statistics, the difference is clear. Bonds has a career batting average of .298, an on-base percentage of .444, a slugging percentage of .607, and an OPS of 1.051. Ohtani has a batting average of .281, an on-base percentage of .372, a slugging percentage of .578, and an OPS of .950 up to now.

Of course, Ohtani still has ample time to prove his worth as an active player. Manager Roberts mentioned one major difference with Bonds at the end.

'Ohtani is doing something Bonds could never do: performing at an elite level as a pitcher,' he said.

Meanwhile, Ohtani started as the designated hitter in the away game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, recording 1 hit and 2 runs in 3 at-bats.

The Dodgers defeated San Francisco 5-2 after a close match that lasted until the 11th inning.

[OSEN]

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.