Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a privileged man.
He not only manages an elite team and has a seemingly endless budget at his disposal, but he gets to manage and watch one of the all-time best in Shohei Ohtani.
In a chat with Colin Cowherd, Roberts – who has seen thousands of players since he was a minor leaguer through his time as a major leaguer and now as a manager – claims there is no one like Ohtani.
That’s right, not even Babe Ruth.
Because of Ruth’s ability to excel as a pitcher and as a hitter, he is often compared to Ohtani.
The level of competition Ruth faced pales in comparison with what Ohtani has to face every day, though.
“Given how difficult the game is today, I’ll take Ohtani all day long”, Roberts said, clarifying that he obviously didn’t watch Ruth.
Asked to describe the things he admires the most of Ohtani and the true jaw-dropping traits he has, Roberts started with sheer size.
“He is a lot bigger than you think, and there is not an ounce of fat on his body,” he said, while also noting his “sheer raw power.”
Roberts also suggested that Ohtani has hustle to his game, too, often legging out infield singles or that extra base.
Ruth was legendary and all, but it’s hard to imagine him putting together three straight seasons with 30+ home runs, an ERA lower than 3.20, and 150 or more strikeouts on the mound.
Ohtani can brag about having achieved that and more.
Ruth was a man amongst boys and a top-five player in history, but Ohtani is something else.
