3 current two-way MLB stars who are not named Shohei Ohtani

Being a two-way player in the MLB is, perhaps, the most difficult thing to do in the game. Major League Baseball consists of the world's top talent, and to both pitch and hit seems nearly impossible. Shohei Ohtani has taken the league by storm because he can do both at an All-Star level.

"HE DID IT!! A CAREER HIGH 13 STRIKEOUTS THROUGH 8 SCORELESS INNINGS FOR SHOHEI OHTANI!! CAREER HIGH 8 RBI LAST NIGHT. CAREER HIGH 13 STRIKEOUTS TONIGHT" - @Ben Verlander

Two-way players were more common in the early days of baseball, when there were fewer players on the roster and less competition in general. The most famous one is longtime New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth. Ruth is considered one of the greatest hitters of all time, hitting 714 home runs in his career. On the mound, he has a career ERA of just a 2.28, and has over 1,200 innings pitched.

However, even Ruth stopped pitching after the age of 25 to focus on hitting. Being a two-way player is such a difficult thing to do for a long amount of time in the MLB. If Shohei Ohtani can continue to do both for the entirety of his career, there is, no doubt, that he will be considered an all-time great.

Today, we are going to look at other two-way players in the MLB. With Ohtani's rise to fame, this has inspired other players to continue their two-way careers at the next level. Here are three players (who are not Shohei) who are two-ways at the professional level.

#3 Brendan McKay - Tampa Bay Rays

Divisional Series - Houston Astros v Tampa Bay Rays - Game Three

Although currently battling an arm injury, Brendan McKay has shown to be a true two-way prospect for the Rays. In 2019, McKay was called up and pitched 49 innings for Tampa and had 56 strikeouts. At the plate, he had a .773 OPS and hit a home run during the 2019 MLB season.

"Literally nothing phases Brendan McKay." - @Tampa Bay Rays

Once McKay is free from injury, it will be exciting to see what he can do both on the mound and at the plate for Tampa.

#2 Anthony Gose - Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland Guardians v Los Angeles Dodgers

Anthony Gose started his MLB career all the way back in 2012 as an outfielder with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was not a great hitter, however. He was hitting .240 with just a .656 OPS through five seasons in the majors. Following the 2016 season, Gose switched to pitching. In 2021, he was back in the big leagues on the mound.

This season, he is currently 3-0 with a 3.50 ERA through 18 innings pitched. Although he does not both pitch and hit at the same time, Gose has shown that he can do both at a MLB level.

#1 Michael Lorenzen - Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels v Seattle Mariners

Yes, there is another two-way player on Shohei Ohtani's team right now. Michael Lorenzen has been in the big leagues for eight seasons and has both pitched and played centerfield throughout his career. On the mound, he has a career 4.08 ERA over 538.1 innings pitched. At the plate, he has a career .233 batting average and a .710 OPS in 133 at bats.

"With Shohei Ohtani and Michael Lorenzen both playing today, the Angels are the first team to play two 'two-way' players in the same game since the 1959 Reds played both Hal Jeffcoat and Bob Thurman." - @Jeremy Frank

Lorenzen prefers pitching over hitting, having not had a plate appearance yet this season. However, he has shown that he can do both at the MLB level. Although there are very few players in the majors who are two-ways, there surely will be more in the future because of Ohtani's success.