"That's LeBron James level, except Shohei Ohtani doesn't speak English" - Journalist laments Dodgers superstar's lack of proper marketing by MLB

LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is arguably the biggest name in baseball. The Japanese phenom's stardom has reached global heights, even transcending sports.

Veteran journalist Howard Bryant compared the Dodgers star to fellow Los Angeles athlete LeBron James. However, Bryant feels the MLB is not marketing Ohtani like the NBA did with LeBron.

On "The Right Time with Bomani Jones" this week, Bryant recalled a bold claim made by New York Yankees legend CC Sabathia in Ohtani's rookie year with the LA Angels in 2018. Howard said:

"CC Sabathia, who's going into the Hall of Fame next week, called me up one day and said, 'Shohei Ohtani is the greatest baseball player of all time in his rookie year.' I said, 'Don't you want to wait a little bit?' "He's like, 'I don't need to. He's the greatest baseball player of all time, and he's doing at the major league level that we did in Little League.' He's the best pitcher in the league, he's the best hitter in the league, and he hits home runs, too, and runs."

Bryant said Ohtani's talent is on par with LeBron's, but because of the lack of marketing by the MLB, the Japanese phenom is not talked about enough.

"Think about that, that's LeBron James level," Bryant said. "When you think about that level of talent, and nobody cares. He should be at that level, except for the fact that he doesn't speak English, and he's not marketed that way."

Shohei Ohtani continues making history with Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani made history by becoming the first MLB player to hit 50 home runs with 50 stolen bases last season. While Ohtani hasn't been as efficient between the bases this season, he is on pace to surpass his career-best home run tally (54) from last season.

He leads the National League with 37 homers after hitting a home run in six consecutive games, a franchise record by a Dodgers player. His home run streak ended in Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

Despite making his much-anticipated return to the mound this season, Ohtani has not let pitching affect his offensive output, as the Dodgers phenom is making a strong case for a third consecutive MVP title.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash