Shohei Ohtani Isn't Babe Ruth—He's Better

Welcome to The Opener, where every weekday morning you’ll get a fresh, topical column to start your day from one of SI.com’s MLB writers.

This has been a trying baseball year. The news feed streams headlines about sticky substances, Trevor Bauer, Marcell Ozuna, Jared Porter, Mickey Callaway, Roberto Alomar, an expiring labor deal, the slowest games ever (3:08 average to play nine innings), the most strikeouts ever, and the fewest hits since the DH was added in 1973.

As disheartening as the mire can be, this year also gifts us the wonder that is Shohei Ohtani. He is a once-in-a-century player in a year when we need to be awed, inspired and distracted. He is a ballplayer in the most fundamental…