Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani should quit pitching and concentrate exclusively on hitting after enduring a disappointing season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, home run king Sadaharu Oh said “Friday”, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Japanese superstar plays as both a pitcher and a hitter, a rare feat that has drawn frequent comparisons to the legendary Babe Ruth, “reported Yahoo Sports”.
The 32-year-old struggled with injuries and poor form as the Dodgers failed to secure a third straight Major League Baseball championship this season, “noted Yahoo Sports”.
His compatriot Oh, who holds the world record for hitting the most home runs ever, believes Ohtani’s heavy workload is taking a heavy toll, “per Yahoo Sports”.
“Personally I think it’s only natural that he might not be able to maintain that same level year after year,” “Oh told reporters at a Tokyo press conference”, as cited by Yahoo Sports.
“I think it would be very interesting for him to focus on batting only and see how far he can take that,” “Oh added during the press event”, according to Yahoo Sports.
Despite the external advice, the Dodgers have ruled out off-season surgery for Ohtani and confirmed he will continue to pitch next season, “stated Yahoo Sports”.
The four-time Most Valuable Player has struggled with knee and bicep problems since July, “the publication reported”.
In statistical terms, his figures in 2026 marked his worst performance since signing for the Dodgers in 2023, “according to the outlet”.
After lashing 54 and 55 home runs in his first two regular season campaigns with the team, he cracked only 30 homers this year, “Yahoo Sports noted”.
His batting average dipped to .275, down from .310 in 2024 and .282 in 2025, “the sports site detailed”.
Meanwhile, Hideki Kuriyama, who has coached Ohtani at both club and international levels, expressed confidence in the star’s future recovery, “reported Yahoo Sports”.
“He had to deal with injury but I think he will take this opportunity to come back even greater,” “Kuriyama said”, according to Yahoo Sports.