Barry Bonds says Shohei Ohtani is a 'complete' player but argues his own time in MLB was tougher

Shohei Ohtani and Barry Bonds are easily one of the best hitters the MLB has ever seen. Bonds has hit an MLB record 762 career home runs while Ohtani is the only player in the history of the game to register a 50-50 season (59 stolen bases and 54 home runs). But both played in different eras.

Bonds played in an era where pitchers didn't take too kindly against hitters who previously took them deep. They would not hesitate to try and injure the player. Meanwhile, in today's era, the pitchers are much more relaxed and don't retaliate against them like back in the day.

In Thursday's episode of "ALL THE SMOKE with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson," Bonds specified Shohei Ohtani as a "complete player," before sharing his perspective on how the game has evolved, comparing it to the time he used to play (1986-2007).

"The pitching and hitting have been outstanding, and what he's done in base running and other areas makes him a complete player," Bonds said (39:00 onwards). "There's no doubt about the type of player he is and what he's accomplished in his career.

"The game has just changed. The game today is way different than when I played—just like Michael [Jordan] talks about his era or anyone else does. Ohtani is not going to hit two home runs without seeing one go right at him in my generation. I don't care what he does. He’s not going to steal two bases without somebody taking out his kneecap and slowing him down because it was a different game back then."

He further added how back in the day hitters like him had to be more cautious in their next at-bat after hitting a home run.

"As a hitter, we had to approach the game differently," Bonds added. "If I hit a home run, I knew what was coming in my next at-bat. I had to be more defensive and focus on contact to avoid a problem. Nowadays, they can just go up and swing freely. Sometimes, I think that can be a disadvantage."

Barry Bonds asks Shohei Ohtani to shift into bullpen role

Shohei Ohtani will return to being the two-way star he is, as he's on the path to grace the mound as a starting pitcher at some point in 2025. He previously underwent an elbow procedure in Sept. 2023 due to which he wasn't allowed to throw in 2024.

However, during the podcast, Barry Bonds suggested that in order to preserve Ohtani's hitting, it would serve him better if he took up the role of bullpen.

"I think he should come out of the bullpen here and there like he has," Bonds said (41:00 onwards). "Since he's the DH, he could come out of the bullpen, throw an inning or two, and dominate as a reliever. He has the ability to be a dominant reliever and a dominant starter. But as a full-time starter, I think it might cause wear and tear and tire him out.

"Why fix something that isn’t broken? If it were me, I’d say, 'Nope, I’m not fixing anything that isn’t broken. I’m good, peace—this is great.' But I think coming out of the bullpen, he could really dominate."

At the moment, Shohei Ohtani is the starting pitcher but Bonds words could prove true and there may come a time when the three-time MVP may have to go down that road.