"Shohei Ohtani is like Godfather franchise" - MLB insider links Dodgers superstar to iconic Al Pacino-starring film series

Since making his big league debut in 2018, Shohei Ohtani has gone on to establish himself as one of the best players in baseball. The Japanese superstar has been a perennial contender for the MVP award.

Having already won three MVP awards, the most recent being last year, Ohtani is the bookmakers' favorite to take home the NL MVP award once again this year. At the moment, the Dodgers icon is batting .276, with 45 home runs and 85 RBIs.

On Sunday's episode of "SportsCenter," insider Buster Olney talked about Ohtani's ability to continue delivering season after season. In doing so, Olney likened Ohtani to the popular "Godfather" film franchise, starring the legendary Al Pacino.

"Shohei Ohtani is like the Godfather franchise, okay? With the fact that every year, he delivers. Right now, it looks like he's on track to maybe become an MVP for the fourth time during his career. For the Dodgers this year, 45 home runs, he's scored 123 runs so far this season."

"Of course, he's pitched eleven times. He is the greatest player we've ever seen, regardless of whether or not he's pitching, because of that multi-talented ability that he has. To me, he's kinda like Godfather 2, in how great he is," Olney said [4:52]

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Former MLB All-Star explains how Shohei Ohtani "proved him wrong" with his performances

When Shohei Ohtani initially came over to the United States, fans and players alike were impressed with his two-way ability of being able to pitch and hit at a high level. However, many were skeptical of it's long-term viability. Two-time All-Star Mike Hampton was also initially one of those that doubted Ohtani's ability.

However, over time, Ohtani has let his performances do the talking, and silenced his doubters.

On August 26's episode of "Nothing Personal with David Samson," Hampton admitted he was wrong about Ohtani.

""He's (Shohei Ohtani) proven me wrong," Hampton said (Timestamp 12:46). "I just felt it would almost be impossible to be a good pitcher and a good hitter. You know, I just, like, to be able to do both. I mean there's a lot of stress and pressure that goes along with each position you play. So just, you know, imagine it's heightened with that."

Hampton was a similar player to Ohtani. Though his main role on the team was as a pitcher, Hampton was also a skilled hitter, picking up five Silver Slugger awards over the course of his career.