Seven-time MVP Barry Bonds acknowledged the greatness of Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani, but believes the slugger would be pitched to differently if he played "in his generation." MLB's home run king expressed
"The pitching and hitting has been outstanding … he’s a complete player,” Bonds said during a Thursday appearance on the All the Smoke podcast. "There’s no doubt about the type of player he is and what he’s accomplished in his career; the game has just changed. The game is way different than when I played. The same way Michael [Jordan] talks about it or anyone else.
"Ohtani is not gonna hit two home runs without seeing one go right here [at his head] in my generation ... I don’t care what he does. He’s not gonna steal two bases without someone [trying to decapitate] his kneecap to slow him down because it was a different game back then."
Barry Bonds wants to see Shohei Ohtani focus on hitting.⁰⁰ALL THE SMOKE with @BarryBonds is now available on YouTube! pic.twitter.com/M5KFkomoPO
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) March 6, 2025
After noting how much batting practice he feels today's players take compared to prior generations, Bonds went on to add that he feels today's stars—and he's presumably lumping Ohtani in here—get away with "antics" after hitting a home run.
"They should be better than us, hitting-wise, because they can hit a home run, flip their bat up in the air, get a taco, come back down, have a limo, drive around, all these antics that we weren’t allowed to do," Bonds said. "If I did that … I’ll see the hospital, but there ain’t no way I’m gonna see a baseball again."
Ohtani, serving as a full-time hitter as he recovered from elbow surgery in his first season in Los Angeles, joined Bonds in the exclusive 40-home run, 40-stolen base club, then created the 50-50 club in a campaign that saw him win his third MVP award and a World Series title with the Dodgers.
To be clear, Bonds respects Ohtani's skills. But he also believes the Dodgers star benefits from a more forgiving game than the one he played.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barry Bonds Acknowledges Shohei Ohtani's Greatness, but With a Generational Caveat.
