Shohei Ohtani Most Impressed By ‘Very Talented’ Ex-Red Sox Mookie Betts

Many players and fans would point their fingers at two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani when asked to name the most impressive player in Major League Baseball, and for good reason.

However, when asked about Ohtani’s pick for that title following Tuesday’s All-Star Game at T-Mobile Park, the 29-year-old looked no further than former Red Sox and current Dodgers star Mookie Betts.

“Not just today but watching guys overall, I feel like Mookie Betts really impresses me,” Ohtani told reporters through a Japanese translator, per Jennifer Mercedes of La Vida Baseball. “He’s so versatile. He can play the outfield, play the middle infield. I think he’s very, very talented.”

While playing in opposing leagues, Ohtani and Betts are the franchise stars of their respective Los Angeles teams, both well in contention for the MVP of the American and National League. Ohtani leads the AL in home runs (32) while Betts sits second in the NL (26) after the first half of the 2023 campaign.

Ohtani took the league by storm being elite both on the mound and the plate, yet his once-in-a-lifetime big league career takes its most anticipated turn thus far through his impending free agency, set to arrive this upcoming offseason. With time to either pull Ohtani aside and make a potential pitch or entice the Angels with a package before the trade deadline on Aug. 1, little is known.