Shohei Ohtani is considered baseball’s unicorn today for his extraordinary two-way skills. Not only do his stats as a pitcher make him an excellent guarantee on the mound, the Japanese sensation does not disappoint at the plate either. But as it turns out, some sports fans want another personality to receive due recognition.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
To this day, Deion Sanders remains the only athlete in history to have appeared in both a World Series and a Super Bowl. Not even Michael Jordan could achieve such a feat. Multisport athletes are not rare, but they’re undoubtedly unusual at a professional level. And now fans are wondering, who did it better?
Was Deion Sanders really better than Shohei Ohtani?
Ever since Sho-time made his MLB debut, he has received constant comparisons to many of his peers. One player that is his chief rival as an MVP contender is Aaron Judge, who was a highly successful multi-sport athlete in high school. Ohtani learned to control his body through other sports but ultimately chose baseball.
Ohtani pitches and hits?? That’s cute.
Deion Sanders played baseball and football at the same time.
Talk to me when Ohtani can hit a HR and then go lockup Justin Jefferson later that week pic.twitter.com/LwsKECY8VI
— Joey (@DJLeMVP) July 13, 2023
The NFL icon has many titles from his years as an athlete. But one thing he’s known for is how he played both in the NFL and MLB. A sports fan recently tweeted that Ohtani’s abilities as a two-way baseball player can’t even hold a candle to Sanders.
Indeed, playing in two major leagues at the same time is something that takes time and effort. Sanders was a phenomenal athlete because he was good at football and baseball. But as fans debate the two players’ merits, they have thrown another name into the mix.
Is Bo Jackson part of the equation?
Although Michael Jordan’s baseball career fizzled out, Bo Jackson was another freak of nature. Much like Sanders, he owns another unique record – the only player to be named All-Star in two major sports. An unfortunate hip injury ended his career in sports in the 1990s, but even so, he is regarded as one of the best athletes ever.
Fans stand divided on who to pick.
Central jersey isn’t real
Opinion invalid
— Joey (@DJLeMVP) July 13, 2023
let us know when you can throw 90 mile hr fastball and hit one too
— Al Owen (@AlOwen15) July 13, 2023
Some mocked Sanders’ baseball skills.
Deion sucked!!!! Especially as a Yankee. Worst Yankee ever!
.178 .248 .306 .553
— Falcon44 (@Falcon44P) July 13, 2023
Hah I’d rather Ohtani than Deion Sanders. Deion wasn’t a great baseball player
— Joe Randazzo (@Yankeelibrarian) July 13, 2023
One fan thought if Ohtani chose to play football today, he would be a rockstar in the NFL too.
If Ohtani wanted to play football he’d train to play football and be able to do it.
— Joshua Martin ⚾️⚾️⚾️ (@truthwrangler) July 13, 2023
Some expressed love for Jackson.
Bo would have been my real answer but his hip injury really made it hard to use him
— Joey (@DJLeMVP) July 13, 2023
But then there’s Bo Jackson
— Charles Cheetham (@CharlesCheetha2) July 13, 2023
Who would you pick out of the three? Do you think any other players make the cut? Share your take in the comments below.
WATCH THIS STORY – Aaron Judge’s Multisport Mastery – Unveiling the Athletic Journey That Led Him to Baseball Stardom
Written by
Edited by
Deepanshi Bajaj