Dodgers get impressive Shohei Ohtani ranking from EPSN despite not pitching originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not seen Shohei Ohtani pitch for them in quite some time. He last threw on the mound for the Dodgers back in early July, when he went six innings of three-run ball for another quality start.
But since he's not pitched in a long time, it wouldn't be too shocking if Ohtani wasn't perceived as the best player in baseball, with Pete Crow-Armstrong making a real run for the NL MVP.
But ESPN has ranked Ohtani as the best player in baseball still, even though he's not pitched in over a month. His best trait, being a two-way player, isn't even a factor, and yet he's still the best player in baseball according to ESPN.
Shohei Ohtani ranked as No. 1 player in MLB despite not pitching lately
"1. Shohei Ohtani, DH/SP, Los Angeles Dodgers," ESPN ranks. It's a worthy ranking for Ohtani, as even though PCA has him beat in bWAR now, Ohtani's work on the mound is good enough to warrant a No. 1 ranking in MLB.
"A fifth MVP in six years seemed like a given for Ohtani not too long ago. Now, given Crom-Armstrong's emergence -- which includes elite defense at a premium position -- it might come down to whether Ohtani returns to pitch," Alden Gonzalez writes for ESPN.
While the MVP award might be in question by the end of the regular season, for now, Ohtani still holds the top ranking in baseball for best players in the sport.
He has a .292 batting average with 27 home runs, a .937 OPS, and a 157 OPS+ this season. Those numbers alone would make him a top-tier player, even as a full-time designated hitter.
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But considering he also had a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts across 85.2 innings of work with 95 strikeouts and 3.0 bWAR as a pitcher, Ohtani has done more than enough to warrant the No. 1 ranking in MLB right now.
If he doesn't return to pitch, and Crow-Armstrong takes the lead over Ohtani offensively, then the Dodgers' two-way superstar limited to just his offense might become the No. 2-ranked player in baseball.
But that has yet to happen, and ESPN still ranks Ohtani as the best player in the sport. It's an understandable ranking, but it could seriously be challenged by season's end if he doesn't return to the mound during the regular season.
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