People tend to evaluate themselves more generously than others do.
You might feel, “I’ve done so much,” while others may still think, “That’s all?”
When that gap leads to frustration, growth can stall. But if you accept others’ evaluations as a more objective measure, it can become a catalyst for improvement.

In his first Major League season, Shohei Ohtani recorded 4 wins as a pitcher and hit 22 home runs as a batter—numbers worthy of Rookie of the Year, which he ultimately won.

During spring training, his hitting had even been criticized as “high school level,” but as he proved himself, perceptions of his two-way ability began to shift.

Still, when asked whether he felt he had made MLB accept the two-way role, Ohtani responded with characteristic humility:

“I don’t know yet whether I’ve truly been recognized or not.
Maybe people just thought it was interesting because I was doing both.
Maybe they just felt it would be a waste to limit me to one.”

In Ohtani’s view, if he had been only a pitcher or only a hitter, people might have said, “There are players at this level.”
The attention he received could have been driven more by the uniqueness of being a two-way player than by elite performance in either role.

This ability to assess himself calmly and objectively—without overestimating his own success—
is precisely what has fueled his continuous growth.

Source

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

Number 968–969, p.12