If baseball fans are lucky, Shohei Ohtani's greatness in the batter's box and maybe even on the pitching mound could be on display for at least another decade.
But in the minds of many, the 30-year-old is already on the shortlist of the sport's all-time legends.
The Japanese superstar added to his absurd feats on Thursday, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to have 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in one season. He hit both marks in grand fashion, with his first three-homer game, his first six-hit game and a franchise and career-record 10 RBIs in Miami.
“There’s definitely arguments that could be made that he’s better than Babe Ruth,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said Friday. “Everybody always talks about Babe Ruth and him being one of the greatest baseball players, if not (the greatest) of all-time.
“I think we’re playing with the modern-day Babe Ruth here.”
Ohtani is only in his eighth big-league season after playing five years in Japan, but it's fair to wonder if he's already cemented a plaque in Cooperstown.
He's the overwhelming favorite to win his third Most Valuable Player award this season, according to BetMGM.
“I feel like his pace, I feel like his potential, it’s looking to be a one of the best (careers) ever," Astros outfielder Jason Heyward said. “Of course, we all know as players that he has to continue to play and finish out his career, but I feel like he has the potential to do so many more special things and create numbers that, you know, we’ll look back home one day and say we don’t know if anyone will get to those.”
Ohtani could add to his legend in the coming weeks when he makes his postseason debut. His Los Angeles Dodgers qualified for October baseball with Thursday's win and will be among the favorites to win the World Series. There's even the slim chance he could return to the mound during the postseason after elbow surgery during the offseason.
“We leave it to other people to decide who the all-time greats are, but it’s undeniable that what we’re watching is incredibly special.” said Josh Rawitch, the president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “People are excited about what they’re seeing and that’s very understandable.”
It was about this time last season that Ohtani's career hit a major speed bump. The two-way star was having a phenomenal season for the Los Angeles Angels at the plate and on the mound when he suffered a torn ligament in his pitching elbow on Aug. 23. That led to the second major surgery on his pitching elbow.
But the free-spending Dodgers were undeterred by the injury in free agency, snagging Ohtani on a $700 million, 10-year deal that was by far the richest in MLB history.
It's safe to say he's been worth it so far.
Able to focus solely on hitting, Ohtani has produced arguably his best offensive season. He's batting .294 with 51 homers and 120 RBIs while stealing 51 bases and only getting caught four times.
Some like Angels manager Ron Washington and Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck said they would reserve judgment on Ohtani's Cooperstown credentials until his career is over. But there's little doubt he's trending the correct way.
“I like to see the full career,” Houck said. “But the milestones that he has so far, and a historical season like right now, he’s definitely the top player in the game right now.”
Said Washington: “Let’s let his career develop and we’ll see where his numbers are. Certainly, if he stays healthy and he’s able to play for the length of how long he wants to play, he will be someone that definitely will be considered for the Hall of Fame.”
Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker competes with Ohtani in the NL West and said it's easy to respect a guy who works so hard.
“He seems like he goes about his business the right way,” Walker said. "And in the spotlight that he is, that’s equally impressive, to maintain a level head and continue to execute at the level he’s expected to execute at. Huge market. Huge spotlight. And to come out and be as consistent as he is, it’s impressive.”
Astros pitcher Yusei Kikuchi — who is also Japanese — said Ohtani has already cemented himself as one of the best.
“He’s probably about to win his third MVP and he’s been doing things that no other player has done, being a two-way player and accomplishing the 50/50," Kikuchi said through an interpreter. "So it’s hard for me to judge, but I think he probably qualifies for the Hall of Fame.”
For the baseball fans who enjoy advanced stats, Ohtani is already up to 42.3 WAR for his career, according to baseball-reference.com, which isn't a crazy number. Most players in the Hall of Fame have at least 50-60 WAR.
But the uniqueness of Ohtani's career — particularly his status as probably the best two-way player of all time — means he could put down his bat and glove today and likely breeze into the Hall.
“It’s hard to say no,” Rangers outfielder Travis Jankowski said. "I know it’s so early. I think he can have average years for the rest of his career, and he’s a Hall of Famer. … He’s probably going to win the MVP, and to win MVP as a DH, that used to be unheard of, so it’s incredible.”
Rawitch said Ohtani has been “unbelievably generous” with his contributions to the Hall of Fame over the years and has a great understanding of the game's history. The Hall's upcoming major exhibit debuts next summer and it's called “Yakyu/Baseball," exploring the intertwined baseball history of Japan and the U.S.
It'll focus on Japanese greats like Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and Hideo Nomo, while also looking at American players who have played in Japan.
And, of course, there will be plenty about Ohtani, one of the greatest in either country.
“This guy is transcending the game,” Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He’s special. He’s going to go down as one of the best players of all time and he’s not pitching this year. What Shohei has done for the game is remarkable and exciting. We need things like that.”
AP Baseball Writers Mike Fitzpatrick in New York and Stephen Hawkins in Arlington, Texas, AP Sports Writers Kristie Rieken in Houston and Steve Megargee in Milwaukee, and freelancers Ken Powtak in Boston and Gary Schatz in Cincinnati contributed to this story.
AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/MLB
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, of Japan, watches the ball as he hits a home run, scoring Max Muncy and Chris Taylor, during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, second from left, hits a solo home run as Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee, left, watches along with catcher Bo Naylor, right, and home plate umpire Dan Bellino during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Los Angeles, Friday, June 21, 2024. Austin Barnes also scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
LONDON (AP) — A British teen pleaded guilty Monday to murdering three girls and attempting to kill 10 other people in what a prosecutor said was a “meticulously planned” stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, entered the surprise plea as jury selection had been expected to begin at the start of his trial in Liverpool Crown Court.
The July 29 stabbings sent shock waves across the U.K. and led to a week of widespread rioting across parts of England and Northern Ireland after the suspect was falsely identified as an asylum-seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat. He was born in Wales.
The attack occurred on the first day of summer vacation when the little girls at the Hart Space, a sanctuary hidden behind a row of houses, were in a class to learn yoga and dance to the songs of Taylor Swift. What was supposed to be a day of joy turned to terror and heartbreak when Rudakubana, armed with a knife, intruded and began stabbing the girls and their teacher in the seaside town of Southport in northwest England.
“This was an unspeakable attack — one which left an enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness," Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle said. “A day which should have been one of carefree innocence; of children enjoying a dance workshop and making friendship bracelets, became a scene of the darkest horror as Axel Rudakubana carried out his meticulously planned rampage.”
Prosecutors haven’t said what they believe led Rudakubana — who was days shy of his 18th birthday — to commit the atrocities, but Doyle said that it was clear he had a “a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence.”
Rudakubana had consistently refused to speak in court and did so once again when asked to identify himself at the start of the proceedings. But he broke his silence when he was read the 16-count indictment and asked to enter a plea, replying “guilty” to each charge.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and additional charges related to possessing the poison ricin and for having an al-Qaida manual.
Rudakubana faces life imprisonment when sentenced Thursday, Justice Julian Goose said.
Defense lawyer Stanley Reiz said that he would present information to the judge about Rudakubana's mental health that may be relevant to his sentence.
The surviving victims and family members of those killed were absent in court, because they had expected to arrive Tuesday for opening statements.
Goose asked the prosecutor to apologize on his behalf that they weren't present to hear Rudakubana plead guilty.
He pleaded guilty to murdering Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6.
Eight other girls, ranging in age from 7 to 13, were wounded, along with instructor Leanne Lucas and John Hayes, who worked in a business next door and intervened. Fifteen other girls, as young as 5, were at the class but uninjured. Under a court order, none of the surviving girls can be named.
Hayes, who was stabbed and seriously wounded, said he still had flashbacks to the attack and was “hugely upset at the time that I wasn’t able to do more.”
“But I did what I could in the circumstances,” he told Sky News. “I’m grateful to be here, and by all accounts I’ll make a full recovery, at least physically. … I’m going to be OK and others won’t be, and that’s really where I I think the focus of attention should be.”
Police said the stabbings weren’t classified as acts of terrorism because the motive wasn’t known.
Several months after his arrest at the scene of the crime, Rudakubana was charged with additional counts for production of a biological toxin, ricin and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism for having the manual in a document on his computer.
Police said they found the evidence during a search of his family's home in a neighboring village.
The day after the killings — and shortly after a peaceful vigil for the victims — a violent group attacked a mosque near the crime scene and pelted police officers with bricks and bottles and set fire to police vehicles.
Rioting then spread to dozens of other towns over the next week when groups made up mostly of men mobilized by far-right activists on social media clashed with police during violent protests and attacked hotels housing migrants.
More than 1,200 people were arrested for the disorder and hundreds have been jailed for up to nine years in prison.
In this Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook, Southport stabbings suspect Axel Rudakubana appears on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, where he has pleaded guilty to killing three young girls and wounded 10 other people in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, in Liverpool, England, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Elizabeth Cook/PA via AP)
People queue at Liverpool Crown Court in Liverpool, England, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 where Axel Rudakubana is charged with killing three girls and wounding 10 other people in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A prison van believed to contain Axel Rudakubana arrives at Liverpool Crown Court in Liverpool, England, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 where Rudakubana is charged with killing three girls and wounding 10 other people in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
A prison van believed to contain Axel Rudakubana arrives at Liverpool Crown Court in Liverpool, England, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 where Rudakubana is charged with killing three girls and wounding 10 other people in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer.(AP Photo/Jon Super)
FILE - Police officers watch members of the public outside the Town Hall in Southport, England, Aug. 5, 2024 after three young girls were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club the week before. (AP Photo/Darren Staples, File)
FILE - Tributes are seen outside the Town Hall in Southport, England, Aug. 5, 2024 after three young girls were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club the week before. (AP Photo/Darren Staples, File)