Shohei Ohtani

This is your annual reminder to ensure you know how Shohei Ohtani's pitcher/hitter eligibility is treated in your league(s), as it can make a world of difference in fantasy value. What it will not make a difference in, however, is his incredible talent on the field. His fifth season in MLB saw a slight decline in hitting stats (34 HR, 95 RBI, .273/.356/.519) (and yes, that was a decline). However, he threw 166 innings, struck out 219 batters, and maintained a 2.33 ERA and 1.01 WHIP to finish fourth in Cy Young voting. The Angels have stated they plan to pitch Ohtani every sixth day as regularly as possible, meaning he could conceivably get 28-30 starts in addition to 600 plate appearances. On top of all of that, he is in his walk year and will be auditioning for what will surely be a huge contract. Yes, he clogs your Utility spot, and it can be frustrating to manage him in weekly leagues where he can only start as one or the other. But if you play on a platform where he is counted as both at all times, he is the fantasy 1.1, no matter who they give the real-life MVP to.

Shohei Ohtani dominates both on the mound and at the dish at WBC

Shohei Ohtani was busy doing Shohei Ohtani things at the World Baseball Classic Wednesday, dominating both on the mound and at the plate. He tossed four shutout innings with five K's to go with two doubles, two RBI and a walk.

Fantasy Impact

Ohtani looks to be in mid-summer shape already, once again reminding everyone why he is the most coveted player arguably in baseball history. To truly put into context how valuable he is, fantasy leagues are forced to separate Ohtani the pitcher from Ohtani the hitter. Otherwise, he would literally run laps around even the greatest players in the world in terms of fantasy value. Both versions of him will, of course, be off the board very early.