The long-simmering debate over Shohei Ohtani’s ‘special’ treatment boiled over Wednesday, pitting his manager against a frustrated opponent and dividing the baseball world.

Shohei Ohtani competes with icons like Roger Federer and Tiger Woods in terms of brand value and popularity. But does that give him the leverage to get additional attention from MLB? The Blue Jays’ DH George Springer reignited the controversy as Ohtani was reportedly given additional warmup time on Wednesday. Still, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got his points in to defend his two-way superstar.

“Just talking about the World Series, obviously, they [Blue Jays] were a little frustrated about how long Shohei takes in between innings,” Roberts shared after the game.

“If he’s on the bases, there’s got to be some grace, which I think the umpires are trying to give him. If you are on the other side, you’re trying to rush him as much as possible and treat him like any other pitcher, but the truth is, he’s different.”

There’s no doubt that Ohtani is different.

He takes hits, and in the next inning, he is on the mound. But that surely doesn’t mean anything to the other 29 teams.

On Wednesday, Ohtani took time to start his second game in 2026. Being a leadoff hitter, his start got delayed due to extra warmup time between innings, which drew complaints from Springer.

While other pitchers hit the mound directly from the dugout, Ohtani returns from the batter’s box and then gets ready for pitching. Umpires give Ohtani this leeway because of his dual workload. According to Roberts, that’s just the ‘grace’ required for a unique player.

After Springer complained, Roberts looked visibly frustrated in the dugout, shaking his head.

But this is not the first time Ohtani has gotten a privilege.

In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, Ohtani delivered his first pitch to Springer after the between-innings clock expired. Reason? He ended the top of the first inning on third base, then had to shift to the mound for the bottom of the first inning. Back then, skipper John Schneider expressed his frustration, feeling the delay was too long and “egregious.”

The same thing happened again, and Springer complained.

In 2022, MLB announced three pitch timer rule changes. But it is also stated that umpires may provide extra time if warranted by special circumstances. Roberts believes Ohtani’s unique role easily qualifies for that extra time. And it’s not just that.

The MLB’s pitch clock rules also have a written exception for a two-way player. So, it is not just the umpires, but the rulebook also protects his transition time. But fans are not in favor of their superstar this time.

Fans differ with the Dodgers manager’s stance about Shohei Ohtani

Fans think Shohei Ohtani was just getting pampered to the maximum. “F— no lol. He’s coddled enough,” one fan remarked. “Give me a break. In MLB, it’s all about Sho,” another added.

In 2022, MLB altered its existing rules to accommodate two-way talents like Ohtani. Under the old rules, a starting pitcher wouldn’t be able to continue to hit once he was taken out of the game on the mound. The rule was changed, and the starting pitcher was allowed to remain in the game as the DH even after being replaced on the mound. The rule was even coined as the “Shohei Ohtani Rule” by fans and insiders alike.

“They already changed the rules to allow him to stay in the game as DH when he exits from pitching. What else do they want?” another fan agreed.

No doubt that MLB is currently majorly influenced by Ohtani. Being the global face of the big leagues, Ohtani has held the No. 1 selling jersey for 30 consecutive months as of March 2026, leading sales in the U.S., Japan, and worldwide. In addition to his record endorsement deals and capacity to fill stadiums, Ohtani provides a huge economic boost.

“No, it’s his choice to bat & pitch. He’s not special, he’s a ball player !!!” one user remarked. Shotime decided to continue with his two-way performance developed in Japan because he wants to become the best. In fact, while coming to the US, he specifically chose the teams that would allow him to play by this, hence the Los Angeles’ crosstown rivals.

“My goal is just to be able to play two-way as long as possible and to play baseball as long as possible,” Ohtani had shared last year.

“Pitchers batted in the National League for 100 years without getting extra time to warm up,” another added. In 2022, another rule change came in the National League.

While the American League had already implemented the full-time designated hitter rule in 1973, the NL continued with pitchers hitting. Till 2021, the National League followed the traditional rule that all nine players on the field, including the pitcher, must bat for themselves. But that changed in 2022.

Players balanced it all for more than 100 years before the DH rule came into existence, and that’s where fans are bothered. While Roberts defends Ohtani as special and eligible for some “grace,” fans disagree and call for equal treatment. And if such complaints continue to grow, we could see another rule change in the making.