“I like to think I would be Shohei Ohtani” - When Gerrit Cole joked about his two-way abilities while fanboying over Dodgers star’s super talent

Gerrit Cole has created his own legacy with the New York Yankees, but there was a time when he pondered over his career as both a hitter and pitcher. Looking at the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, he admired how the two-way superstar has brought a change in the MLB world.

Although Cole seemed to regret giving up on his hitting dreams briefly, he noted that he would have never made it to the major league as a hitter. During an interview with Jon Heyman in April 2023, he said:

“I wish I was a kid coming up. What an inspiration that is for people that strive to do that. By the end of high school I was throwing 100 mph. I loved hitting.

"I loved playing the field. But it was, you’re never going to do that anymore. You throw too hard. … Ohtani is inspiring people to now say, hey, this is possible in the major leagues.”

Cole even jokingly added that he thought he could be like Ohtani. But on a serious note, he pulled back on the idea.

“I like to think I would be Ohtani," Cole added. "I don’t know. I stopped working on hitting after high school. I’m confident in my abilities. I’m not going to make any outlandish remarks. I don’t think I would have made the big leagues as a hitter.”

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Aaron Judge ranks Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout above him

It wasn’t just Gerrit Cole who was amazed at Ohtani’s play style, but also Aaron Judge. Even the New York Yankees captain thought of starting his major league career as both a hitter and a pitcher. Scouting agents had the same thought, as Judge pitched around mid-90s. However, the two-time MVP saw himself as a hitter more than being on the mound.

Mike Trout, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani [Source: Imagn]

During the same interview, Judge once ranked Ohtani and Mike Trout as players above him. He considers both of them on the same plateau, noting that he has more to do.

“I’ve got Trout and Ohtani above me," Judge told Jon Heyman. "Ohtani is doing both pitching and hitting, and Mike Trout wins an MVP every other year. I’ve got some work to do.”

Judge himself is undoubtedly in a league of his own. While his dream as a pitcher didn’t come true, he has broken several records and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he decides to hang up his cleats.