Shohei Ohtani Would Be An All-Star in Right Field, Former Manager Says
Over the years, Shohei Ohtani has been a must-watch player for fans on two continents. Whether it’s the ability to strike out 10 or more batters in a game, his ability to hit multiple home runs in a game, or even steal multiple bases in a game, Ohtani has become a human highlight reel in the world of professional sports.
In addition to his dominance as a pitcher and hitter, one of Ohtani’s former managers thinks he has the potential to not only become an All-Star outfielder — but also a Hall of Famer at the position.
“A corner outfield, probably right field, I think would be nice. He could play any of them. He could play all three outfield positions. You just want to put him in a spot that’s the least amount of wear and tear on him. I think if you really pressed him he could probably play first base too. I watch him in batting practice run down balls in the outfield. It’s incredible. That arm’s going to play anywhere, as long as he takes care of his arm. I see it as a right field arm. The range is incredible. He really runs down into that right-center gap. I watched that in Anaheim in BP and stuff. He would just run it down. I would pick right field I think. He’s an All-Star there. He’s a Hall of Famer there. He’s all of the above there. He’s just that good.”
— Joe Maddon on MLB Network
As he applauded Ohtani’s ability to become a star outfielder, Maddon already proved himself a man of his word. He’s the only major league manager to let Ohtani play the outfield — which he did seven times during his 2021 MVP season.
Despite barely appearing in the outfield in the big leagues, Ohtani saw more regular time in the outfield (64 games) playing in Japan.
As Ohtani is entering his first season with the Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts has not ruled out the idea of letting him play the outfield once his arm heals from UCL surgery this offseason.
Could we see Ohtani the three-way player in Los Angeles? Perhaps the Dodgers’ return on their $700 million investment will be even greater than we can imagine today.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Is the extra expenditure of energy playing right field rather than DH a handicap to his pitching? What did they say when Ohtani began playing in Anaheim. Did Maddon weigh in on that issue?