The 2024 season marked Shohei Ohtani’s rehabilitation period following right elbow surgery, and he appeared in 159 games exclusively as a designated hitter.

Given that a full Major League season consists of 162 games, he missed only three—an indication of just how consistently he stayed in the lineup.

As a result, he delivered overwhelming numbers as a DH.

Even so, discussions about “Ohtani’s defense” occasionally surfaced during the season.

If Ohtani were able to play in the outfield, it would allow players like Freddie Freeman or Mookie Betts to take turns at DH, reducing their defensive workload.

In fact, Ohtani did play in the outfield during his time with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
With his speed and strong arm, his defensive ability is evident in highlight footage even today.

Ohtani himself has addressed this idea before, saying:

“If I had the option to play defense, it would give the team more flexibility.
So when you think about it, it’s obviously better if I can do everything.”

For him, the priority has always been clear—

not resting,
but playing.

There is no doubt that Ohtani is already the greatest designated hitter in history, and from 2025, he is expected to return as a pitcher as well.

Yet even with those accomplishments, he still thinks:

“If I could also play defense…”

At a time when his playing time was once carefully limited out of concern for injury, Ohtani himself described that kind of caution as “overprotective.”

For him, being on the field is not something to be restricted—

it is something natural,
and something he truly loves.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Number 1048, p.16