Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani's Ex Teammate Thinks He'll Have 'Crazy Numbers' Only Focusing on Hitting

The Dodgers' signing of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has been the biggest storyline of the baseball offseason.

Putting Ohtani around other stars like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman should only make him better. The two-time MVP will also focus only on hitting this coming season as he rehabilitates from elbow surgery, prohibitively postponing his pitching career until 2025.

Ohtani remains the best designated hitter in the game today, and his former teammate from the Los Angeles Angels, Reid Detmers, believes that his numbers may be even crazier this year with him only focusing on hitting.

Detmers made an appearance on the show Foul Territory and revealed he has some high expectations for his former teammate.

“Just him focusing on hitting for a whole year," Detmers said, "that’s scary. He already hit well as a pitcher. And taking out a whole other position that’s a lot, that’s demanding, you really have to focus on it. Just focusing on hitting for a whole year, I mean he could put up some crazy numbers.”

Per Reid Detmers via

Foul Territory

In 135 games last season, Ohtani hit .304 with 44 home runs and 95 runs batted in. This was while he was performing his two-way abilities, so it is a scary thought for opposing pitchers to have him only focusing on his bat.

It's unclear how Ohtani's rehabilitation program will set his routine apart from his teammates'. For now, we know he will not have to prepare to start against a different major league team every sixth day.

If Ohtani can produce at a higher level than he did in 2023, the Dodgers will be very tough to beat. Coming off a 100-win season, the Dodgers' addition of Ohtani merely gives opposing teams another star hitter to worry about.