"Shohei would strike a homerun out over the fence" "Awesome to see Shohei being funny" - MLB Twitter is loving Shohei Ohtani's response to Ben Verlander's million-dollar question

Shohei Ohtani’s two-way brilliance has redefined the standards of what fans consider MVP-worthy metrics. No matter who wins the honor this year and in the years to come, comparisons will always be made to the Los Angeles Angels phenom’s history-making 2021.

Baseball’s biggest names assembled under the bright lights of LA for the All-Star Game Red Carpet Show ahead of the 92nd Midsummer Classic. There was no shortage of designer outfits, gold chains, and diamonds. Ohtani, however, went for a classy, modest approach, which is in line with his mild, soft-spoken, kind-hearted nature.

MLB analyst Ben Verlander had the chance to catch up with Ohtani on the red carpet. Aided by Ohtani's interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, Verlander asked a million-dollar question.

In a face-off between Ohtani, the batter, and Ohtani, the pitcher, who reigns supreme? The Angels superstar was quick to answer and admitted that this year, pitcher Ohtani is superior.

“If you are talking about this year, then pitcher Ohtani wins. He could just throw the heater down the middle and the batter has no shot.” - Shohei Ohtani, on being asked to choose the superior aspect of his two-way brilliance (1:03 - 1:16)

Ohtani had arguably the greatest all-round season in baseball history last year. That led to him being crowned the unanimous winner of last season’s American League MVP award. Once the bar is set higher than it ever has been before, living up to renewed expectations is always going to be a tough task.

Not for Ohtani though. Although he hasn’t matched his batting numbers from last season, his overall performance still makes him one of the frontrunners for this year’s MVP title.

Batter Shohei Ohtani or pitcher Shohei Ohtani? MLB fans make their pick

Shohei Ohtani got off to a slow start but has been in a rich vein of form lately. So far, he has compiled a slashline of .258/.348/.486 in 2022. He has 19 homers to his name, with 56 RBI, 51 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. If those numbers don’t sound staggering like last year, couple them with his pitching record. The two-way phenom has a 9-4 record as a starting pitcher.

Ohtani’s ERA reads 2.38 in 87 innings. He also has a 29.1% strikeout minus walk rate, 0.99 WHIP and 15.7% swinging strike rate. Based on those numbers, Ohtani’s response to Verlander is right on point.

Don’t rule out batter Ohtani completely though. One fan in particular still has his back. Another fan believes that it’s an open game and could go either way.

Plaudits have come the way of Verlander too. It was heartwarming to see him involving Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, and directing a question to him directly.

Verlander asked if Mizuhara is more relaxed since Ohtani wasn’t set for double duty at the ASG. He confirmed that is exactly the case and that he can "chill and relax a little bit."

Ohtani can expect competition from the likes of Yankees superstar Aaron Judge and Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez for the AL’s MVP honor. Both Judge and Alvarez have been superior on the bat this year, but neither of them is capable of being a double-edged sword like Ohtani.