The Dodgers’ financial flexing in the MLB this year hasn’t gone unnoticed. With the rival fans already accusing the team of getting undue advantages, the new ‘Shohei Ohtani rule’ is what fuels it further. Expectedly, calls are getting louder about rules being amended for the Dodgers’ advantage, but is this new rule to benefit Shohei Ohtani?

While not everyone is on the same page in criticizing the rule, it is getting promoted as a new outlook to the game. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal is one of those who are pitching for the rule and is confident about its advantages for the game. Undeniably, Shohei Ohtani is going to benefit from this rule, and it’s not just about him but also the other two-way players. So, what is the ulterior motive behind this new rule, and how will it affect Ohtani’s future projections? 

The two-way player rule was first introduced in 2020 and enabled the teams to allow players who meet certain criteria to pitch and bat without counting against the team’s 13-pitcher limit. To qualify for this rule, a player must have pitched a minimum of 20 Major League innings and played a minimum of 20 major games as a position player or designated hitter with at least three plate appearances in each game. Now, in early 2023, this rule was amended to allow players to both start at pitcher and be the designated hitter and remain at DH even after being replaced at pitcher. Teams can now allow players to play 2 positions in the same game: DH and pitcher. 

“It’s not just about Shohei Ohtani. MLB wants to encourage more two-way players with their recent rule change,” insider Ken Rosenthal noted in a podcast with Foul Territory. With this new rule, Ohtani and any other two-way players can show up twice in the lineup, allowing them to present both in the hitting and pitching squad. This change will also let managers roster two-way players to get both offensive and pitching stats. Well, there’s no doubt that Shohei Ohtani is going to get the maximum benefits from this rule, and the Dodgers can come up with extra pitchers in their rotation, but so do the other teams. 

The impact of the two-way rule on Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani made the two-way player concept popular, and with him, the trend among the teams to get two-way players got traction. Moreover, Ohtani is going to benefit the most from this rule; he hadn’t pitched last year due to his injury, and the original rule cannot let him pitch this year as well due to not meeting 20-20 criteria. But the amended rule does; with his career figure of 132 innings and 599 plate appearances, Ohtani is now eligible to pitch at any time soon. 

This raises another question: Are the Dodgers always one step ahead of their rivals? Getting an extra pitcher with Shohei Ohtani on the team, who is the only known and established two-way player on the current MLB roster, and despite the other teams still leveraging this rule, the major benefits are going to the Dodgers. Ohtani is going to be their 14th arm in their existing 13-pitcher squad. Reportedly, the Dodgers are aiming to field a six-man rotation this year, and what can be sweeter than getting Ohtani on the starting pitch? 

What do you think about this new rule change offering an advantage to the Dodgers? Share with us below.

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