So, who gets the next Babe Ruth?
Japanese star Shohei Ohtani has reportedly met with each of the seven finalists for his services over the past two days, including a Tuesday night meeting in Los Angeles with the Seattle Mariners. Ohtani has until Dec. 22 to finalize a contract, though the San Franciso Chronicle reported that Ohtani prefers to make a decision before next week’s winter meetings.
Here’s why Ohtani is this offseason’s most coveted major league acquisition:
While Babe Ruth is the only player in major league history to win 10 games as a pitcher and hit 10 home runs as a hitter in the same season (1918 as a 23-year-old), Ohtani has done that twice in Japan, as a 19-year-old in 2014 and then as 21-year old.