Shohei Ohtani hopes his career will be defined by championships when it's all said and done, but for now, it might be defined by some of the most hotly contested debates in sports.
Is Ohtani better than Babe Ruth? Is Ohtani more valuable than Aaron Judge? Should Ohtani win MVP every year he hits and pitches?
The best debate regarding Ohtani right now might be which of his past four seasons is his best. Each season has a different strength. He hit 46 home runs in 2021, delivered the best pitching season of his career in 2022, and posted his highest OPS in 2023. Then, he redefined the rest of his career highs offensively in 2024.
That adds up to a four-year peak unlike any other. If Ohtani has a case for the best peak in MLB history, does he also have a case for being the best player in MLB history?
Here's a look at Ohtani's 2024 stats and where his historic season ranks among the best in baseball history.
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Shohei Ohtani 2024 stats
| Games | AVG | HR | RBI | Hits | SB | OPS | fWAR |
| 159 | .310 | 54 | 130 | 197 | 59 | 1.036 | 9.1 |
Ohtani set career-highs in batting average, home runs, RBI, hits, and stolen bases in 2024. He posted a 9.1 fWAR despite never setting foot on the mound as he recovered from major elbow surgery.
Ohtani led the NL in home runs, RBI, and OPS while finishing second to only Luis Arraez in hits and batting average.
Best MLB seasons of all time
The following are both true: Ohtani had a historic season, and Aaron Judge had a better season than him.
Using WAR (wins above replacement), that's undeniable. Judge is solidly ahead of Ohtani with a 11.2 fWAR this season, and even Bobby Witt Jr. finished ahead of Ohtani with a 10.4 bWAR. Witt's defense might the difference, but Judge actually had a better offensive season than Ohtani by most metrics.
Still, 50-50 is something never done in MLB history — not by Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays, or anyone — and Ohtani cleared 50-50 with ease.
Here's a look at the single-season WAR leaders from MLB history and how Ohtani stacks up in 2024.
| Rank | Player | fWAR | Season | Team |
| 1 | Babe Ruth | 14.7 | 1923 | Yankees |
| 2 | Babe Ruth | 13.7 | 1921 | Yankees |
| 3 | Babe Ruth | 13.1 | 1920 | Yankees |
| 4 | Babe Ruth | 12.9 | 1927 | Yankees |
| 5 | Barry Bonds | 12.7 | 2002 | Giants |
| 6 | Barry Bonds | 12.5 | 2001 | Giants |
| 7 | Lou Gehrig | 12.2 | 1927 | Yankees |
| 8 | Babe Ruth | 11.9 | 1924 | Yankees |
| 9 | Rogers Hornsby | 11.8 | 1924 | Cardinals |
| 10 | Barry Bonds | 11.8 | 2004 | Giants |
| 11 | Babe Ruth | 11.8 | 1926 | Yankees |
| 12 | Honus Wagner | 11.8 | 1908 | Pirates |
| 13 | Pedro Martinez | 11.6 | 1999 | Red Sox |
| 14 | Ted Williams | 11.6 | 1946 | Red Sox |
| 15 | Ted Williams | 11.5 | 1942 | Red Sox |
| 16 | Mickey Mantle | 11.5 | 1956 | Yankees |
| 17 | Ty Cobb | 11.5 | 1917 | Tigers |
| 18 | Mickey Mantle | 11.4 | 1957 | Yankees |
| 19 | Jimmie Foxx | 11.3 | 1932 | Athletics |
| 20 | Aaron Judge | 11.2 | 2024 | Yankees |
Ohtani did something no one has done before, but a season that isn't the best in 2024 can't be the best of all-time. Judge actually did push himself onto the single-season WAR leaderboard with 11.2 after hitting .322 with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs, a 1.159 OPS and a 223 OPS+.
When it comes to Ohtani's four-year peak, though, fewer have been able to match him.
MORE: How much will Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 home run ball fetch at auction?
Is Shohei Ohtani the GOAT?
Whether Ohtani is the greatest player of all-time is entirely subjective, but it depends on how much one values peak performance vs. longevity.
Obviously, a career with less than 900 hits, less than 250 home runs, and a career 43.8 WAR isn't going to be considered the best ever. There's no way to put Ohtani's entire body of work against Hall of Famers with careers spanning 20 or more years who performed at a high level throughout.
The case for Ohtani, though, isn't based on longevity. Ohtani has had an unbelievable four-year peak from 2021-2024, and included in that peak is both excellent pitching and hitting. That might beat any four-year peak of a player who was only hitting or only pitching.
Ohtani has a 35.2 fWAR over the past four seasons and 33.8 bWAR. He has 178 home runs and a .986 OPS since 2021, plus a 2.84 ERA over 74 starts. There have been better offensive peaks and better pitching peaks, but together, there's a real case to be made that no one has had a four-season span.
If that's true, can the case also be made that Ohtani is the best player in MLB history based purely on talent? Don't expect that debate to end anytime soon.
