Shohei Ohtani’s 2024 season was nothing short of extraordinary.

He appeared in 159 games, posting a .310 batting average, 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, 59 stolen bases, and a 1.036 OPS.
On top of that, he achieved the first-ever “50–50” season in Major League Baseball history.

It is a record so remarkable that it’s difficult to imagine anyone surpassing it in the near future.

Because of this, many have begun to wonder whether 2024 might represent the peak of Ohtani’s career as a hitter.

But how does Ohtani himself view his peak?

Back in 2020, he shared his perspective:

“I try to approach every year as if it’s my peak, and as if it’s my best season. That way, when I truly reach my peak, it can become even better.”

He has also mentioned that his physical peak might come between the ages of 30 and 35.
If so, 2024 would mark the very beginning of that phase.

Yet even before reaching that age range, he had already delivered MVP-level performances, winning the award twice between 2021 and 2023.

In that sense, one could argue that Ohtani has already been operating at his peak for several years.

What makes that possible is his core philosophy:

“I treat every year as a make-or-break season. What matters most is going into each year with the mindset of giving it everything I have.”

To give everything, every year.

That is why Ohtani continues to redefine what his “peak” looks like.

Source

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

Following Shohei Ohtani: A Reporter’s 10-Year Chronicle, p.278