Braves legend doubles down on bold Shohei Ohtani claim, says Jacob deGrom has it easier than the Dodgers superstar

Batting .279 with 31 home runs and 58 RBIs so far, Shohei Ohtani is having another monster season at the plate. In addition to his talents with the bat, Ohtani has been extremely impressive since making his much-anticipated return to the mound.

Up to this point, the Japanese superstar has been used as an opener by the Dodgers, pitching the first inning or two for his team after which he plays only as a DH.

The glimpses he has shown, however, have appeared to greatly impress legendary Atlanta Braves ace John Smoltz, who claimed he would 'be the best pitcher in baseball' if he had the luxury of dropping his offensive responsibilities.

"If he never hits for one year, and just pitches, he'll be the best pitcher in baseball, Smoltz said (Timeline: 1:48), via "The Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday. "Hands down, it's not even a debate. "He's trying to navigate being one of the greatest hitters of all time and trying to pitch. If all he did was concentrate on pitching, what my eyes see, and what he's able to do, hands down he'd be the best in the world."

Furthermore, comparing the two-way phenom to an elite pitcher like Jacob DeGrom, John Smoltz claimed that although pitching at an elite level is difficult, a player like DeGrom still has less on his plate than Shohei Ohtani.

"Jacob DeGrom was one of the best ever, when he was healthy," Smoltz said. "It's a tough job pitching like he did, but when all you have to do is think about pitching. "It's a lot easier than if you have to think about getting batting practice, scouting reports, back's a little tweaked, you fouled one off your calf, you know, all those things that never go into the play of a pitcher," Smoltz added.

---

Both Shohei Ohtani and Jacob DeGrom are enjoying excellent 2025 seasons

Having won the prestigious 2024 NL MVP award after one of the best individual seasons of all time, Shohei Ohtani has seemingly carried the same swagger into the new campaign.

The Japanese national is once again set to lead the NL for home runs at the halfway point of the season, and the addition of some excellent pitching performances to his resume arguably makes him the favorite to take home the MVP award once again come November.

Shohei Ohtani (L), Jacob DeGrom (R) (Images from - Getty)

For Jacob DeGrom, the 2024 season was one to forget, as he spent pretty much the entirety of the season on the sidelines while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The two-time Cy Young award winner looks to be back to his best this year, boasting a 9-2 record, along with a 2.29 ERA and 105 total strikeouts for the season so far.

Both Ohtani and DeGrom have All-Star selections to show for the impressive first half of the season they have enjoyed.

Edited by Alvin Amansec