In the past, Japan had what was known as the “Oh Shift,” a defensive alignment used against Sadaharu Oh.

Similarly, in Major League Baseball, teams employed what came to be known as the “Ohtani Shift” (now banned as of 2023), in which three infielders were positioned between first and second base to counter Shohei Ohtani.

For left-handed hitters, this kind of extreme shift creates a disadvantage.

Some players try to exploit it by laying down a bunt or aiming for areas where fielders are not positioned.

However, Ohtani has expressed a negative view toward this approach.

“That wouldn’t be interesting, would it?”

His reasoning is clear:

“If you’re watching a home run hitter aim for opposite-field singles every game, I don’t think that would be enjoyable at all.”

Babe Ruth, to whom Ohtani is often compared, once responded to a similar suggestion from a reporter.

When told, “You could hit .400 if you shortened your bat and aimed for left field,” Ruth replied:

“Fans would rather see me hit one home run to right field than three doubles to left.”

Ohtani is fast enough that, if he focused only on batting average, he could bunt for hits or consistently go the other way.

But those are options he uses only occasionally, or in specific situations.

What fans expect from Ohtani is clear—

power.

Just like Ruth, he is not a player from whom people expect small, cautious hits.

Source

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

Shohei Ohtani Feature, Number 1048, p.12