Kike Hernandez reveals his plan to achieve Shohei Ohtani's status in MLB

One thing that makes Shohei Ohtani special is his two-way status. His ability to throw 100 mph from the mound and hit the ball with an exit velocity of over 100 mph is unparalleled.

On Monday, Ohtani's LA Dodgers teammate Kike Hernandez revealed his plan to achieve the two-way status like the three-time MVP. On JM Baseball, Hernandez told Chris Rose:

"Yeah, I am trying to get to 20 innings so I can officially become a two-way player. That is the threshold. 20 innings. You get 20 innings, you become a two-way player, and that is my goal. Unforunately, the last two outings haven't gone great. I've only been able to get one out." [15:13 onwards]

You can check what Kike Hernandez said in the video below:

So far, the 2025 MLB season has been average for Kike Hernandez. In 169 plate appearances, he has batted .195. Meanwhile, in the pitching department, he has an ERA of 15.19 and a. WHIP of 3.56.

When Kike Hernandez compared Shohei Ohtani to a kid

After Shohei Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers, he lived up to the immense expectations. In his debut season in Chavez Ravine, Ohtani played a crucial role in helping them win the World Series.

While the Japanese baseball player and his achievements became the talk of the town with this win, his teammates celebrated the person he was. Kike Hernandez described Ohtani as a "little kid."

“He’s almost like a little kid, trapped in a giant body," Hernandez said (via LA Times last year). "He doesn’t necessarily always show it. But I was surprised by how much personality he has. He’s awesome. And, he’s not that quiet.”

Ohtani has continued his excellent hitting this season as well. The 31-year-old has batted .284 along with 41 home runs and 77 RBIs to his name.

About the author

Varun is a Golf and MLB journalist for Sportskeeda with over 4 years of work experience in his bag. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he worked for many sites, including EssentiallySports, FanSided, Khel Now, Get Football, and a few others.

Varun is a fan of golfer Scottie Scheffler due to the latter’s mindset, and he admires Aaron Judge and his ability to keep being consistent. As a purist golf fan, he would love to compete at the Masters if given the opportunity, but is also happy with LIV Golf driving more eyeballs towards the sport. If he gets the chance to play for an MLB team, he would love to play for the New York Yankees.

Varun’s mantra for writing factually correct feature articles is thorough verification. Another key element in his writing is staying updated with both sports through the official websites of pro wrestling and Golf. He has had the privilege of interviewing MMA legend Greg Jackson in his career so far.

Varun likes to spend his free time reading or writing poetry and fiction. He also plans to learn and play golf in his spare time.

Know More

Edited by Krutik Jain