MLB analyst makes feelings clear on Shohei Ohtani is “underrated and underappreciated” claim by Dodgers President

LA Dodgers president Andrew Friedman expressed a rather surprising sentiment about Shohei Ohtani. He claimed that despite the accolades and global recognition, the two-way phenom is “underrated and perhaps even underappreciated.”

The comments may drive intrigue among many, especially those who are not fans of the Dodgers. Ohtani has been in the league since 2018 but it was only last year when he played his first postseason game and won the World Series.

Former MLB infielder and analyst Trevor Plouffe weighed in on Friedman's comments about Ohtani being “underrated and perhaps underappreciated.” During an appearance on Baseball Today on Monday, Plouffe made his take known.

"That's a difficult one," Plouffe said (6:08 onwards). "I mean, obviously, this is very opinion-based. I think Ohtani is getting his flowers. I think everybody really appreciates him. Like today — hey, if you play Fortnite, his Fortnite skin comes out today.

"Only a few athletes have had Fortnite skins. It's reserved for players like Messi, LeBron, and Shaq, I believe. He's entered that realm of player, so in that regard, I think he is appreciated."

Trevor Plouffe hails Shohei Ohtani as the best to ever do it

MLB has seen several elite pitchers and hitters come and go by. But only a few have been able to captivate the heart of every fan. Shohei Ohtani is probably one of them. In Trevor Plouffe’s view, Ohtani isn’t just great — he’s the greatest to ever play the game.

"I say he’s the best to ever do it," Plouffe added. "I don’t think there’s any debate about it in my mind because — and we talk about it all the time — but really understanding how difficult it is, I think, is probably hard for some people to grasp how difficult it is to do what he’s doing right now." (TS-8:18)

Plouffe also made a compelling argument that many fans and analysts may not fully grasp the difficulty of what Ohtani is accomplishing.

"If you haven’t played pro baseball or Major League Baseball," Plouffe said, "and you don’t understand how hard it is to make it as just one — a pitcher or a hitter — then it’s tough to comprehend what Ohtani is doing."

While Trevor Plouffe seemingly doesn't feel Ohtani is "underrated" he does mention that the Dodgers star is someone special.

Shohei Ohtani's already first ballot Hall of Famer-looking resume supports his statement. He has won three MVPs, four All-Star selections, and AL Rookie of the Year.