Did Shohei Ohtani in 2021 surpass Babe Ruth to become the best player in MLB history? <SLUGGER>

Otani became an MVP with 9 wins and 130 innings, 46 home runs in 3rd place in the league, and "dual wield". Did you become more than Ruth? (C) Getty Images

"The best player ever" is decided by Babe Ruth, but the story is different when it comes to "the player who had the best season ever". And there are many evaluations that Shohei Ohtani in 2021 was shining enough to enter the "highest controversy in history". Did Otani surpass "the god of baseball"? Consider in the context of historical value. For decades, there have been very simple questions with very simple answers. "Who is the greatest player in baseball history?" Of course, the answer is Babe Ruth. Because Ruth was like two players in one. He made his debut as an elite pitcher in the Red Sox, from which he became the strongest slugger in history. He is incomparable even to Willie Mays and Barry Bonds. This is because the batter did not play an active role as a pitcher, nor did the pitcher become a first-class batter. But in 21 years, this problem became complicated at once. Thanks to Shohei Otani (Angels), who boasts a talent beyond human knowledge. Of course, it's too early to consider Otani as "the greatest player in history." Ruth played until he was 40, but Otani just turned 27 this summer. But it makes perfect sense to ask the question in a different way. "Is 2021 in Otani the best season ever?" In this case, he comes very close. Certainly, this season Otani is having a very rare season in history. Ruth has only played as a full-fledged dual wield player for two years. He pitched in 20 games in 1918 (starting in 19 games) and stood at 382 at bats. In 2019, his last season in Boston, just before moving to the Yankees for his infamous trade, he pitched in 17 games (15 starts) and had 543 at-bats. On the other hand, Otani has a higher "dual wield degree" than Ruth's last two years. He cleared 20 starts and 600 at-bats on September 3, both surpassing Ruth in 18-19. In the last two years, Ruth has achieved excellent results both as a pitcher and as a fielder. However, he never topped the league in WAR (Baseball Reference) in either season. He was fourth in the league at 7.0 in 2018 and 9.9 in 2019, second only to Walter Johnson. After moving to the Yankees, Ruth became a full-time batter and took the lead in the WAR league 10 times over the next 12 years. During that time, he never threw more than two games a year.