Marcus Stroman unimpressed with Mets legend Keith Hernandez's unwillingness to give up retired number to sign Shohei Ohtani

Over the course of the season, Shohei Ohtani has slingshot himself to the front of the American League MVP race. The 28-year-old currently leads the league in home runs, RBIs, and OPS. Those are pretty impressive stats considering he also ranks first in batting average against and third in strikeouts. Ohtani continues to dazzle fans around the globe and sits atop the baseball pyramid.

One former player, however, is not ready to hand over the crown to the Japanese superstar. During a broadcast of Wednesday's New York Mets game, Keith Hernandez was asked if he would allow Ohtani to wear his No. 17 jersey if the Japanese pitcher were to move to the Mets. The 1979 NL MVP was hesitant about handing over the number that was only recently retired.

Hernandez's reluctance has stirred a debate over retired numbers. Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who is a fan and admirer of Shohei Ohtani, gave his two cents on the issue and was clear on where he stands.

"Ohtani deserves 17 wherever he goes. Imagine losing Ohtani in free agency because some dinosaur wouldn’t give his number up. Lmao." - Marcus Stroman

Notably, Ohtani wore the No. 16 during the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Team Japan. He also previously wore the No. 11 with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters during his time in Japan.

Shohei Ohtani signed a one-year extension with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2023 season

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels prepares to bat against the Chicago White Sox win at Angel Stadium of Anaheim

Ohtani is entering the final stages of a one-year, $30 million extension he signed with the Los Angeles Angels in October 2022. Speculation is swirling that he could enter the free agency market at the end of the season.

If Ohtani were to leave, only a handful of teams could realistically afford his contract. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres have been named as possible landing spots due to their financial might and proximity to Anaheim.

"The Mets should let Shohei Ohtani be digitally edited to replace Keith Hernandez in Seinfeld if that convinces him to sign" - Eric Rosenthal

Steve Cohen and the Mets have been aggressive in the market, and the team currently has the highest payroll in the majors. It will be interesting to see whether a jersey number would be essential as part of any future contract for Shohei Ohtani.