“He pre-wrote everything he wanted” - Shohei Ohtani gets high praise from Braves legend ahead of All-Star game

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is ramping up his pitching as the two-way phenom pitched three innings for the first time this season in his last start against the San Francisco Giants.

However, Atlanta Braves legend and Hall of Famer John Smoltz doesn't think Shohei Ohtani would be pitching in the All-Star game for the NL team at Truist Park on Tuesday.

Although Smoltz ruled out Ohtani taking the mound in the Midsummer Classic, the former Cy Young winner believes the Japanese phenom will pitch in the second half of the season. He had high praise for the three-time MVP on FOX Sports on Monday.

"Shohei Ohtani is…I can’t say enough, there’s no words to describe it," Smoltz said (3:30 onwards). "I said this three years ago, and people thought I’d lost my mind. It’s a hypothetical, but if he never hits, and he pitches one year and all he does is pitch, he’d be the best pitcher in baseball. Without a doubt, I don’t have any reservations, I don’t have any what-ifs.

When fellow Hall of Famer David Ortiz asked Smoltz about Shohei Ohtani's fastball, the Braves legend said:

"He's got a feel that you just can't teach and a desire, listen, he has sspokenthis career into existence. He prewrote everything he wanted to do as a teenager and there's something to be said for that."

Shohei Ohtani to leadoff for NL in 2025 All-Star game

Shohei Ohtani will continue as a designated hitter for the NL in the All-Star game on Tuesday. He will bat leadoff, per NL manager Dave Roberts and will be followed by 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. in the second spot in the lineup.

Ohtani was the leadoff hitter for the AL in the 2021 and 2022 All-Star games. While he is unlike to take the mound in the Midsummer Classic this year, the Japanese phenom was also the AL starting pitcher in 2021.

Dave Roberts had been carefully managing Shohei Ohtani's workload since his return to the mound after a second Tommy John surgery. Roberts is likely to give Ohtani an increased pitching role in the postseason as the Dodgers aim to defend their World Series title.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash