At 6-2, 215 pounds, the portly Ruth hit 714 career home runs, and drove in 2,214 runs,

Ruth drove in 100 or more runs 13 times, with his career high being 168 RBIs in 1921.

Ruth drew 2,062 walks.

Ruth walked 100 or more times a season a remarkable 13 times, with the most being in 1923, when he drew 170 free passes.

Probably the most amazing statistic about Ruth was his 1,330 total strikeouts in 22 years at the plate. The most he ever struck out was 93 times in 699 plate appearances in 1923.

Ruth played in the inaugural MLB All-Star Game July 6, 1933.

He also played in the 1934 game, when he was 39-years-old.

Ruth’s last game was May 30, 1935, when he was 40-years-old.

Ruth died at the age of 53 on Aug. 16, 1948.

Then There Was Aaron Judge:

A mountain of a man, Aaron Judge, 32, made his major league debut Aug. 13, 2016.

It was in his first full season, 2017, when Judge began to leave his mark on the game.

Judge hit 52 home runs, drove in 114, scored 128 runs, and hit .284.,422/.627/.1.049 in 542 plate appearances. He walked 127 times.

Unlike Ruth, Judge did (and does) strike out. He had 208 strikeouts in 2017, but at the age of 25, the All Star slugger left his mark.

Judge has since had years battling injuries but has still managed to torment pitchers with incredible power from his massive, 6-7, 282-pound frame.

Judge has hit 50 home runs three times, including 2017 (52), 2022 62), and 55 so far this season. With five games remaining from Tuesday September 24, until the end of the season, Judge can easily add to his home run total.

Judge has already driven in 138 runs this season, the most of his nine-year big league career.

As play began Sept. 24, Judge had an offensive stat line of .323/.458/.695/.1.154.

For everything he has meant to his first-lace New York Yankees, he will likely be the American League Most Valuable Player.

Now There Is Shohei Ohtani:

Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani, 30, has done something no player in MLB history has ever done.

No player in MLB history had ever hit 50 home runs, and stolen 50 bases in the same season.

Until Now.

Until Ohtani.

As play began September 24, Ohtani has hit at least 53 home runs and has stolen 55 bases in 59 attempts.

Ohtani has also smoked 34 doubles, and seven triples among his 184 hits. He has driven in 123 runs, in leading the Dodgers to the postseason, and a potential World Series Championship.

Since coming from Japan to play major league baseball, Ohtani has hit 224 home runs in seven years of major league play.

Also a right-handed pitcher, Ohtani will likely return to the mound for the Dodgers next season, as he had elbow surgery in September 2023. It was the second surgery on his elbow.

Consider these consecutive nights at the plate for Ohtani:

Sept. 19, 2024 against the Miami Marlins-6-for-6, with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 runs scored, and 10 RBIs.

Ohtani followed that the next night with 3-for-4, a home run, 2 runs scored, and 2 more RBIs against Colorado.

Sept. 21, 2024 against Colorado, 1-4, with 1 run scored.

Sept. 22, 2024 against Colorado, 4-for-5, with a home run, 1 RBI, and 2 runs scored. At the end of the game, Ohtani was hitting .301.

At 6-4, 210 pounds, Ohtani has tremendous power to launch rockets. As a left-handed hitter, he has little problem hitting the ball into the center field or right field bleachers.

To add even greater impact to his mind-boggling season, Ohtani has been thrown out on the bases only 37 times in 178 stolen base attempts.

Conclusions:

Over the history of the game, MLB has seen some great Hall of Fame-caliber players.

Players with “otherworldly” talent.

Too many to mention.

Given his impact on the game, Shohei Ohtani may be the best ever.

Grandparents will tell their grandchildren they saw the Great Shohei Ohtani.

Major League Baseball may never see another player with the indescribable talents of Shohei Ohtani.