Baseball is a timeless classic. Centuries of fans have seen ballplayers leave their mark on the sport, some setting unreachable highs. Today, baseball fans are witnessing history being made with Shohei Ohtani two-way play. And joining him in record-breaking is a young Miami Marlins star, whose chase looks slightly different.

Ohtani is the greatest ballplayer MLB has ever seen, with his phenomenal skills on both sides. To most, he’s better than Babe Ruth. Then, there is Marlins star, Luis Arraez, who is on the path to breaking a mind-blowing record last set in 1941. And it makes one wonder, what is baseball of the present if not a sport forever sitting on the edge of history?

Shohei Ohtani: the two-sworded Samurai Warrior

A highly regarded sports writer, Tom Verducci, recently wrote about Ohtani and Arraez’s astonishing season: “The greatness they build is measured against the legends they chase.”

He compared the phenomenon that is Shohei Ohtani to the legend that was Babe Ruth. Ohtani has many nicknames – yakyū shōnen, Unicorn, and Sho-time. Recently, he has earned another one – Nitoryu, a samurai that fights with two swords—an infrequent occurrence, even in Japan.

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In a video posted by MLB Network, Bob Costas narrates Verducci’s words, “The very goal of the game is nostalgic…What is new is always measured against what was.” Ohtani’s achievements are jaw-dropping but more valuable because there is the Babe to compare to.

READ MORE – Is Shohei Ohtani a Better Hitter or Pitcher? Everything to Know About His Two-Way Abilities

The two-way player has already surpassed the Sultan of Swat with his triumphs, especially in 2023. As he once said about his pitching and slugging, “Like the sun and the moon, they both emerge to play their part.”

Arraez is another such wonder.

Luis Arraez: The Sprinkler, aka La Regadera

When Arraez was tearing through the Venezuelan Winter League with his hits, he earned the nickname La Regadera—translated as The Sprinkler because he sprinkled hits all across the field. And he’s doing the same in MLB.

Although he experienced some hiccups immediately before the All-Star break, his overall batting average ranked at 0.383 this season. A wonder to behold on the plate, the Marlins player is on his way to achieving something that only Ted Williams did in 1941 – hit 0.406. The fact is more awe-inducing when one looks at the league average – 0.249.

As Verducci points out, “Watching Ohtani and Arraez, we appreciate the beauty and artistry of what they do. But of course, the beauty of baseball is also in what connects them to the past. The two-sworded Samurai and the Sprinkler – they’re chasing ghosts. And in the process, leaving their own footprints for others to follow.”

Interestingly, both Ohtani and Arraez are international players chasing records from when they were rare in MLB.

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