The legendary Babe Ruth is perhaps baseball’s greatest player of all time. But if you ask a veteran outfielder of the Milwaukee Brewers, he might rank the phenomenon that is Shohei Ohtani ahead of Ruth. During a conversation on ‘The Old Man And The Three’ podcast, Brewers star Christian Yelich spoke about the uniqueness of Ohtani and what it was like to get a first-hand experience of his prowess.
“His skill set is, nobody’s ever had that before,” Yelich said on the show. “I mean, like, not even Babe Ruth had that to be able to throw 100 off the mound and be one of the best pitchers in baseball and then obviously one of the offensive players too, and he’s just such a physical freak too. He’s huge.”
At present, Ohtani is arguably the best player in baseball. At 31, he has set a precedent, offensively and as a pitcher, that no one can match. His 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers is a nod to the unique two-way skill set he possesses. Currently, Ohtani is MLB’s only player pitching and hitting at elite levels.
Across seven seasons as a pitcher, the Showtime holds a career ERA of 2.86 with a 31.2% strikeout rate. In terms of batting, split between the Angels and the Dodgers, Ohtani holds a .280 average, recording 286 homers with a .950 career OPS.
Ohtani’s idiosyncrasy lies in his ability to pitch and hit simultaneously in the same game, that too at a high level. His exclusive skills even drove the MLB to introduce the two-way rule, popularly known as the ‘Shohei Ohtani rule,’ allowing Ohtani to bring out his true potential.
“His skill set … nobody’s ever had that before … not even Babe Ruth had that” — Christian Yelich on Shohei Ohtani pic.twitter.com/GEsqpOStLe
— TheOldManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) May 9, 2026
The two-way player rule allowed Ohtani to hit and pitch in the same game. It also allows the Dodgers to keep an extra arm on the rotation, as two-way players don’t count towards the 13-pitcher roster limit.
Though the two-way player designation came with Ohtani’s arrival in the MLB scenario, Ruth can be considered one of the first two-way players in pro baseball. The Hall of Famer was a dominant left-handed pitcher and power hitter for the Boston Red Sox before he became a full-time outfielder for the Yankees. Ruth holds a .342 average and 1.164 OPS, with a 2.28 career ERA in terms of pitching. He was among the first five baseball players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
But for Yelich, Ohtani’s modern execution of both roles is unmatched. He recounted the time the Brewers faced off against the Dodgers in the NLCS.
“He probably played one of the best games that’s ever been played in the history of baseball against us. Usually, when you like get eliminated from the playoffs, like, we were obviously bummed, but we lost Game 4 of the NLCS to him… (He) basically beat us by himself.”
In that historic Game 4, Ohtani delivered an all-time postseason performance. The four-time MVP was on fire as a hitter and pitcher. On one side of the field, he blasted three homers, while on the opposite side, he threw six scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits while striking out 10 to beat the Brewers 5-1 in Game 4 of the NLCS.
Though Ohtani has excelled in hitting and pitching simultaneously, the Dodgers are being careful with him this season. Following his second Tommy John surgery, 2026 is the first full season for Ohtani as a two-way player. Despite the slow start as a hitter (.241), Ohtani’s pitching (0.97 ERA) has been Cy Young contender level so far in the season. So, to lessen his workload and keep him healthy, the Dodgers are keeping him off the lineup on his start days.
Yelich earns $188.5 million over seven years in Milwaukee. Even with the rivalry, Ohtani’s talent still stuns him.
The Brewers currently hold a 21-16 record. They sit third in the NL Central. The team expects Yelich back in the lineup soon.
Milwaukee Brewers expect Yelich back in the lineup
Christian Yelich has been missing from the Milwaukee Brewers’ lineup since April 12 due to an adductor strain. Before the injury, the 34-year-old was hitting well. He was slashing .314/.375/.451 with four extra-base hits. He remains a huge piece of the Brewers’ offense.
According to Brewers analyst David Gasper, manager Pat Murphy told him on Friday that Yelich could be back in the lineup as soon as the current homestand. During this stretch, the Brewers would be hosting the San Diego Padres.
Yelich was reportedly swinging with the team during batting practice before the game against the Cardinals on May 4.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee already got some major help last week. Rookie star Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn both returned on May 4. Chourio missed the start of the year. He fractured his left hand during the World Baseball Classic. Vaughn had been out since Opening Day. He was recovering from a fractured hamate bone.
Milwaukee will host Ohtani and the Dodgers for a three-game series. The highly anticipated matchup kicks off on May 22. It will be the perfect test. We will finally see if a healthy Brewers roster can slow down baseball’s biggest star.
