"I would say Mike Trout, but he's having a rough time" - Garry Sheffield claims Shohei Ohtani is the best, points out Dodgers star's X-factor

Florida Marlins legend Garry Sheffield used to believe Mike Trout was the best of his generation, but Shohei Ohtani's skill set has him thinking otherwise. Sheffield, who won the World Series with the Marlins in 2003, believes that a major factor separates Ohtani from any other two-way player.

Sheffield, who played 22 seasons in the big leagues with eight different teams, shared his thoughts on Wednesday.

He was asked who he thinks is the best baseball player today.

"Normally, I would say Mike Trout, but he's having a rough time of late, Sheffield said on Wednesday (56:43), via the "All The Smoke with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson" podcast. "The best player now is Ohtani."

Ohtani is considered a unicorn, but Sheffield thought that a two-way player would've arrived long before. During his youth, players played in different positions. Sheffield was a pitcher and played shortstop before MLB.

However, he sees something different in Ohtani that other two-way players don't have. Sheffield also admitted that he couldn't do one major aspect of Ohtani's game.

"When you look at Ohtani, what separates him, I think, from anybody that would ever try to do this is the velocity he throws," Sheffield said. "He throws 100, and he's that good with the bat. So now, I knew I couldn't match the bat, but when we're talking about the pitching, that's a different level."

Ohtani's arrival as a two-way phenom burst open MLB's popularity worldwide, especially in Asia. He has already won three MVP honors, the latest without pitching. Ohtani is also the favorite to win the 2025 NL MVP award.

Meanwhile, Mike Trout has also won three MVP titles. However, injuries have taken a toll on his body, and the chances of him achieving the highest individual glory in the sport are slim.

Garry Sheffield names three players he would have by his side in a brawl

Garry Sheffield played in a different era, and his outspoken personality gave him a "bad boy" image. He was involved in several benches-clearing brawls. During the recent interview with Matt Barnes, Sheffield was asked to name three people he would have by his side in a bench-clearing brawl.

"Rob Deer, Glenn Braggs and Don Baylor," Sheffield said on Wednesday (56:25), via the "All The Smoke with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson" podcast. "Those three right there (are) undefeated."

Rob Deer and Glenn Braggs were Sheffield's teammates on the Milwaukee Brewers, while Don Baylor was the team's coach around the same time. Sheffield played three seasons with the Brewers from 1988 to 1991.

After leaving Milwaukee, Sheffield played for the Padres, Marlins, Dodgers, Braves, Yankees, Tigers and Mets.