Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is widely regarded as one of baseball’s top hitters, but MLB’s all-time home run leader believes today’s game presents fewer challenges for batters. During an appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Barry Bonds shared his perspective on how hitting has changed over time.
Over his 22-year MLB career, Barry Bonds established himself as one of the game’s most dominant players, setting the all-time home run record with 762 while earning seven MVP Awards, 12 Silver Sluggers, eight Gold Gloves, and 14 All-Star selections.
Bonds’ decorated career gives him a deep understanding of what it takes to dominate the sport. He shared his perspective with Shohei Ohtani, a player widely regarded as one of baseball’s brightest stars.
“I just hope he just stays at the hitting category because his hitting ability is off the chart. Pitching, I just think might tire him out. I think he should come out of the bullpen here and there, because he’s DH’ing he can come out of the bullpen and throw an inning or two here and just because he’s so good as a reliever too,” Bonds remarked when talking about Ohtani.
Such a shift would be significant for Ohtani, who has been a formidable presence on the mound since entering MLB in 2018, starting 86 games with a 3.01 ERA, 1.061 WHIP, and holding opponents to a .200 batting average and .612 OPS.
Barry Bonds suggesting Shohei Ohtani to be a reliever
“Like he could be one of the dominant relievers and dominant starters. I think as a starter, I think it might get wear and tear a little bit and tire him out. Why fix something that isn’t broken because me, I’d be like no, I ain’t fix nothing that ain’t broken.
Ohtani’s excellence as a pitcher was instrumental in his unanimous AL MVP wins in 2021 and 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. However, after an elbow injury prevented him from pitching in 2024, he continued to showcase his offensive dominance with the Dodgers, earning the NL MVP unanimously after recording a .310/.390/.646 slash line and topping the National League with a 190 OPS+.
Bonds also pointed out another key difference: the amount of batting practice modern players take. He observed, “these guys hit more than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.”
Ohtani also crushed 54 home runs and swiped 59 bases, making history as the first MLB player to reach 50 in both categories within a single season. Those outstanding offensive stats highlight that even if Ohtani follows Bonds’ suggestion and transitions to a relief role, he would still be a highly valuable asset for the Dodgers.
As for Bonds’ home run record, he still holds a comfortable lead. Ohtani would need 537 more homers to match him—a daunting challenge for any hitter, regardless of the supposed advantages of today’s game.
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