When it comes to Shohei Ohtani’s two-way career, the discussion often revolves around what he might achieve if he chose only one role.

“If he focused solely on hitting, he could hit even more.”
“If he devoted himself entirely to pitching, he could win even more.”

Yet far less attention is given to the advantages of doing both.

Former Nippon-Ham Fighters manager Hideki Kuriyama once said that playing both roles helps maintain balance as a player. Ohtani himself also recognized the benefits.

For example, when pitching, he sometimes thinks from the batter’s perspective — how he would approach the situation, what count would matter, how he would try to swing. That dual awareness allows him to see the game from both sides of the confrontation.

In that sense, Ohtani believes that, compared to players who only pitch or only hit, he understands things that can only be understood by actually standing in both positions.

Former teammate Atsunori Inaba described it as “a view only he can see.”

Ohtani has also said that facing elite hitters as a pitcher helps improve his own batting — studying their timing, mechanics, and decision-making. Every duel becomes research.

For Ohtani, doing both has never been a handicap.
It is an education.

A continuous feedback loop of growth that only exists because he refuses to choose.

Source

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

Opening a Path, Crossing the Ocean: The True Story of Shohei Ohtani, p.291