MLB fans stunned as Shohei Ohtani ranks among the top in homers and strikeouts since 2021: "Best player in baseball, and it's not close"

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani doesn't seem real anymore. The things that he has been doing over the last few seasons have been nothing but jaw-dropping.

Since the 2021 season, only one player has hit more home runs than Ohtani: Aaron Judge. On the pitching side, Ohtani ranks third among American League pitchers regarding strikeouts. Only Gerrit Cole and Dylan Cease have more than the sensational two-way player.

That's the definition of being at the top of your game on both sides of the ball. Ohtani has started to shine after the Angels moved away from him in the outfield and made him the DH. Giving him the extra rest for his arm has taken his game to a whole new level.

Ohtani is nearly incomparable to anybody now. He has 531 career strikeouts, surpassing the legend himself, Babe Ruth. In five years, Ohtani surpassed him in half the time.

MLB fans are stunned at just how elite Shohei Ohtani is. He's changing the game and showing everyone that it's possible to be a two-way player in baseball. Perhaps this opens the door to more in the future.

Ohtani will make the MVP vote tough with how he has started to click. It's hard to compare him to other players when he's one of the best on both sides of the ball.

All eyes are on the Los Angeles Angels and Shohei Ohtani this season

Shohei Ohtani is in the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Many around the league expect Ohtani to explore free agency at the end of the season if the Angels aren't competitive.

So far, they've put themselves in a great spot. The Angels are in third place in the American League West, just a few games behind the Houston Astros and division-leading Texas Rangers.

It will be a tough grind, and the Angels must keep playing sharp baseball all season long. The AL West is one of the tougher divisions in baseball, with four teams in it having rosters to contend for a postseason position.

If the Angels want to keep Ohtani long-term, they must make this year's postseason. If they don't, Ohtani will find a team that can.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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