If anyone knows pitchers, it’s John Smoltz, one of the most dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball history and a Hall of Famer. Now working as a Fox Sports analyst after a career as both a starter and closer, he has made his stance clear on Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s pitching prowess.

Shohei Ohtani could be MLB’s greatest pitcher

The former Atlanta Braves star is unequivocal: “If he only pitched, he’d be the best pitcher in baseball,” a statement that sparks no debate or controversy given what we know the Japanese phenom can do.

Smoltz shared this during a Fox Sports panel discussion ahead of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, when fellow Cooperstown inductee David Ortiz asked if Ohtani would pitch in the game. Smoltz dismissed the idea, noting that Ohtani’s pitching workload is still gradually increasing post-Tommy John surgery, and the Dodgers can’t risk their star.

“Shohei Ohtani is… I’m at a loss for words,” Smoltz told the panel. “I said this three years ago, and people thought I was nuts. It’s hypothetical, but if he never batted and focused solely on pitching for a year, he’d be the best pitcher in baseball. No question. No reservations, no ‘buts.’”

To grasp why a legendary player like Smoltz speaks so highly of Ohtani, just look at his 2024 batting stats. Despite not pitching a single inning due to Tommy John surgery, he led the National League with 54 home runs and stole 59 bases—a first in league history.

He also topped MLB with 411 total bases, posted over nine wins above replacement (WAR) as a hitter, and led the National League in on-base percentage (.390), slugging (.646), OPS (.988), and OPS+ (174).

“If he only pitched—and we know that’ll never happen—he’d be the best pitcher in baseball,” Smoltz reiterated. “That says everything about his athleticism and game sense; he’s not just a hitter, he’s a pitcher too.”

While it’s unlikely we’ll see Ohtani focus solely on pitching, we can savor his extraordinary talent in both roles for now.