Could peak Ohtani have an even higher gear than we've seen? The question looms large as we witness the extraordinary talent of Shohei Ohtani, a player who has already left Babe Ruth in the dust. With his remarkable pitching and hitting prowess, Ohtani has achieved feats that defy comparison. In 2021-23, Ohtani was at his peak as a pitcher, throwing nearly 80% of his total career innings with a 2.84 ERA, bested by only a handful of regular starters. But what if we could see him achieve even more? What if we could witness the culmination of Peak Batting Ohtani and Peak Pitching Ohtani, all at the same time, for an entire season? This is the question that lingers in the minds of sports enthusiasts and analysts alike. Ohtani's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. In 2021, he narrowly missed achieving this goal due to a late-season slump. In 2023, he fell short again, missing the last month of the season due to injury. However, in 2022, he showcased his pitching prowess, even though his hitting was not yet at its peak. Fast forward to 2026, and we find ourselves contemplating the possibilities. Ohtani is healthy, dominant on both sides of the ball, and carries a 0.50 ERA into Wednesday night's start against the Giants in San Francisco. His pitching is in full swing, and he's allowing just one earned run in 18 innings over three starts. Since his return last June, only a handful of starters have a lower ERA with similar innings pitched. Ohtani's hitting, too, is nothing short of extraordinary. He's extended his on-base streak to 53 games, surpassing Babe Ruth's record. His OPS+ of 159, while lower than his previous seasons, is not a cause for concern. His underlying stats and barrel rate are actually higher than ever, placing him among the top five in the sport. Ohtani's ability to excel in both pitching and hitting is unparalleled. In the past five seasons, he's consistently ended up in the 8- to 9-WAR range. The challenge lies in determining what happens when we combine his best pitching and hitting seasons. If we take his best pitching season (2022's 5.6 WAR) and his best hitting season (2024's 9.0 WAR), we'd get a hypothetical 14.6 WAR season. This would rank incredibly well, surpassing even Babe Ruth's legendary seasons. However, there are obstacles to overcome. Ruth's peak seasons were almost exclusively batting-only, and Ohtani's two best hitting seasons came when he wasn't focusing on pitching. It's a delicate balance, and it remains to be seen if Ohtani can sustain this level of excellence. Another concern is Ohtani's decline in base-stealing ability. His once-elite sprint speed has dropped to the 32nd percentile, making it below average. This shift in priority removes a potential path of value, as base-stealing contributed significantly to his offensive WAR in 2024. Despite these challenges, the idea of Ohtani achieving an even higher gear remains tantalizing. With Pitching Ohtani and Batting Ohtani fully operational, the possibilities are endless. The last time we saw this, Ohtani was just beginning to scratch the surface of his true hitting potential. Could there be one more incredible thing in store for us? It's time to embrace the uncertainty and celebrate the extraordinary talent of Shohei Ohtani.
