"It's kind of like Kyle Schwarber" - Mets phenom breaks down strategy for facing Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber are two of the finest hitters in the big leagues at the moment. Both players enjoyed fantastic campaigns in 2025, hitting a total of 111 home runs between themselves.

Speaking to analyst Rob Friedman on Sunday, young New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean spoke about the prospect of facing Shohei Ohtani. While breaking down how he would approach the at-bat, McLean claimed facing Ohtani may be similar to facing Kyle Schwarber.

"As a competitor, you're always looking for the best of the best to try to go and face, in my opinion, I think you should. (Shohei) Ohtani is a freak of nature, obviously," McLean said. "That guy's in a league of his own with what he's doing. He's one of those guys that you really have to beat in the zone. It's kind of like (Kyle) Schwarber. You have to beat him in the zone. "But at the same time, they can damange you at any time. I think with Ohtani, you really have to establish the inside part of the plate on him. If you can get him to chase early, then something (that breaks) late (would be effective), where he would take it for a strike. Anytime he can get it extended, it's pretty special, so I think if you tie him up the best you can, then maybe late, go (with) something down in the dirt."

---

Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber are set to continue battling for supremacy in the NL for years to come

Having entered free agency after an extremely impressive season, Kyle Schwarber was one of the most highly-sought after players on the market. Ultimately, the veteran decided to continue with the Phillies, signing a five-year, $150 million deal.

Schwarber is now set to stay in the NL East through 2030, while Ohtani still has eight years left on the ten-year deal he signed with the Dodgers in 2023.

As a result, the two superstars are set to continue battling it out for supremancy in the NL for many years to come, as both Schwarber's Phillies and Ohtani's Dodgers are perennial World Series contenders.

Shohei Ohtani celebrates after winning the World Series in 2025 - Source: Getty

Most recently, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber faced off in the NLDS. Ohtani and company came out on top this time around, winning the series 3-1 en route to their second consecutive championship.

Edited by Raghav Mehta