Ohtani Stands Alone as MLB's Last Two-Way Player — SkimNews
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- Shohei Ohtani remains MLB's only two-way player since debuting in 2018 and hasn't pitched since July 3, with his offense dipping and prompting an IL stint for right arm pain.
- Dodders GM Brandon Gomes called the chances of another two-way player emerging "close to zero," saying the dual workload is impossibly demanding even for elite talent.
- Michael Lorenzen came closest to replicating Ohtani in 2019 with 83⅓ innings pitched and 89 innings in the outfield for the Reds, but now exclusively pitches and blames MLB's two-way designation rule for blocking his path.
- MLB's 2020 two-way qualification rule requires 20 innings pitched and 20 games as a position player with at least three plate appearances in each — a threshold players like Jake Cronenworth called too onerous, while an MLB official said no teams or players have requested changes.
- Bryce Eldridge was drafted 16th by the Giants in 2023 after posting a 1.06 ERA and .422 batting average as a senior at James Madison High School, but no minor-league pitching plan materialized and he debuted as a first baseman last September at age 20.
- Ohtani's injury history — Tommy John surgery in 2018, knee surgery in 2019, a second UCL repair in 2023, and shoulder surgery in 2024 — illustrates the physical toll that leads one front office executive to conclude the talent for two-way play "simply doesn't exist."
Why it matters: MLB's two-way designation rule, requiring 20 pitching innings and 20 games with 3+ plate appearances, has functioned as an explicit barrier: Cronenworth, Lorenzen, Jared Walsh, and Matt Davidson all abandoned the path under it. With Ohtani sidelined since July 3 and his offense fading, the sport's signature unicorn experiment appears to be ending rather than inspiring imitators.
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