"He's the ultimate chameleon" - MLB insider gives utmost compliment to Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani

MLB insider Jeff Passan called Dodgers star and NL MVP Shohei Ohtani the "ultimate chameleon." The distinguished media personality sang the baseball unicorn's praises as he stated that Ohtani is one of the most dependable players in the league when it comes to adjusting roles for team success.

Passan stopped by The Ryen Rusillo Podcast on Thursday to discuss how absurd the two-way Dodger star's skills were, that he's able to easily transition from a top pitcher to one of the best base hitters around, given his circumstances.

"[What] Shohei Ohtani does better than anything is that he fits himself into where his skills are at [a certain] point. He has all the tools in the world. [Ohtani] can do anything on the baseball field. But last year, he couldn't pitch, so he needed to become a different player. He is the ultimate chameleon," said Passan" (27:00-27:26)

"This year, we hopefully get to see the apex version of himself wherein he's still an elite-level pitcher and remains one of the best bats in the big leagues." (27:30-27:40)

Last season, amid his inability to pitch, the Dodger superstar had a record-breaking season wherein he became the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same campaign.

Jeff Passan lauds Dodger star Shohei Ohtani for evenly-keeled attitude

Continuing on the podcast, Jeff Passan further commended Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for being able to drown out the noise that followed him after his former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara's controversy exploded.

"The fact that he got through last season ... when he got caught up in the disaster of a gambling scandal that has reached the highest levels of Las Vegas and [entailed] a federal investigation into it for two years." (27:45-28:03)

"Being able to get through all that noise and then turn in the season that he did, as exceptional that Shohei Ohtani is at all physical elements of baseball, the mental capacity and fortitude that guy has to do what he does on a daily basis is to me every bit impressive." (28:24-29:08)

Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara was fired by the team on March 20, 2024 after he the latter was accused of stealing money from the baseball star and spending it in gambling. Mizuhara was subsequently sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and three years supervised release and was asked to pay back $17 million to Ohtani as restitution in February 2025.