Getty Shohei Ohtani crossing home plate after an April 21 home run.
Los Angeles Dodgers megastar Shohei Ohtani made his MLB debut on March 29, 2018. But MLB insider Jon Heyman believes Ohtani would have come to the MLB six years prior to that, if not for an old MLB rule.
Per an April 25 article from the New York Post, Heyman wrote, “And one ecstatic Dodgers higher-up told me he believes Ohtani would have come six years earlier if the National League had the DH back then. (I think he’s probably right.)”
Heyman is referring to the MLB’s designated hitter (DH) rule, which allows teams to use another player to bat in place of the pitcher.
The American League has been using the DH rule since 1973. Yet, aside from the DH being used by both leagues in 2020 because of COVID (in order to “avoid overtaxing pitchers by having them hit”), the National League didn’t officially adopt the DH rule until 2022.
As a result of that tardiness, Heyman thinks the MLB lost six additional years with its biggest superstar.
But what would Ohtani’s career have looked like if he’d made his MLB debut in 2012?
Six More MLB Seasons Would Have Made Ohtani An Even Bigger Star
On April 21, Ohtani hit his 176th career MLB home run. This made him the new record holder for most home runs by a Japanese-born Major Leaguer.
Shohei Ohtani stands alone with the most Major League home runs ever by a Japanese-born player!
The Japanese megastar began his professional career for Japan’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2013. During his five seasons in the NPB, Ohtani hit 48 home runs and scored 150 runs.
It Ohtani kept those same numbers in the MLB from 2013-17, he would have broken Hideki Matsui‘s home runs by a Japanese-born player record two seasons ago.
Yet, that logic assumes he would have skipped the minor leagues entirely, which is unlikely.
And let’s not forget that Ohtani also pitches (when his arm permits it.) In fact, his 2.52 ERA and 42 wins for the Nippon-Ham Fighters prove that he was more developed on the mound than he was at the plate.
But how big of a superstar would Ohtani have been in 2012?
The short answer is: Not nearly as big as he was in 2018.
Ohtani was only 18 years old when he began his professional career. If he came to the MLB at that age, he surely would have needed a couple minor league seasons to develop.
Although him being a two-way player still would have made him a unique prospect with lots of intrigue. And even if his signing would not have made the same waves in 2012 as it did in 2017, American fans would have been able to keep track of his development better in the minor leagues, compared to when he was in Japan.
Which would have made his star shine even brighter by 2024.
And What About Ohtani’s English?
Baseball aside, six more years spent living in America would have allowed Ohtani’s English to improve immensely. In fact, if he had come stateside in 2012, he likely wouldn’t even need an interpreter by now.
There’s no doubt that Ohtani would be an even bigger superstar if he could speak English.
For that reason alone, we wish the National League decided to ditch its no-DH rule years ago.