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The story
Amid the MLB National League MVP debate, New York Post reporter Jon Heyman said on MLB Network that Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (24) has the edge over Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (32). Heyman described Ohtani as having “played half the season as a pitcher,” a remark that stirred controversy on social media. On 5ch, reactions split over the “part-time pitcher” label, with many mocking it by comparing Ohtani to a “part-time auntie” (a stock Japanese stereotype of a middle-aged woman working limited part-time hours).
With the NL MVP race widely seen as leaning heavily toward the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (24) — known as “PCA” — over the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (32), comments from veteran New York Post reporter Jon Heyman on MLB Network have stirred controversy.
Heyman said, “Right now PCA is leading and he’s the most compelling story — he’s creating more ‘big moments.’” He went on: “He’s the best center fielder in the game. But Ohtani played half the season as a pitcher. I think that value — preventing runs — contributes far more than playing great center field for a full year.”
The comment quickly rippled across social media, drawing intense backlash: “That’s dishonest — it goes without saying Pete beats him on offense and on the basepaths too.” “A full-time, 24-hour outfielder beats a part-time pitcher any day.” “Elite defense and baserunning are worth way more than half a season of pitching.” “Heyman’s a clown.” “Ohtani can’t be relied on at the plate or on the mound anymore, so there’s no reason to play him. PCA is incredible.” With criticism this fierce, the fallout risks alienating not just PCA but other center fielders too, and people are watching closely to see how it plays out.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Part-time pitcher.
Still going on about that lol
Isn't that only 3 months? 🤔
Pitching every 6th day for a fixed 6 innings is basically a part-time auntie clocking in 6 hours once a week lol
Don't you know a full season runs about half a year?
Sounds like Kioxia's stock price (a famously volatile Japanese chipmaker).
Well, he can't pitch all year, and even when he starts he doesn't rack up innings, so honestly his value as a pitcher alone is shaky.
With his bat slumping too right now, he's just turned into a mediocre player.
His career innings total is basically the same as a reliever's, so it's below "shaky," honestly.
Because Ohtani doesn't listen to anyone — exactly the same as it was with the Angels.
Wouldn't NHK throw a fit? (NHK's Japan broadcasts lean heavily on Ohtani for ratings.)
He's stealing bases just fine, so injuries aren't an excuse.
You don't know Stevie Wonder's song "Part-Time Lover"? It's about making a part-time auntie your girlfriend. (A joking misreading of the song.)
But this is actually kind of weird —
if he's really doing two people's jobs, his WAR is way too low.
Combined it comes out to about 6, so that's only WAR 3 per "job."
Honestly the whole "two-way player" label is misleading to begin with. Since he's DH-only, he's not playing defense at all — he's just pitching instead.
Delete this, delete this, delete this.
Defense and "algae" aren't affected by slumps 🥺 (a pun — 走塁/baserunning and 藻類/algae are both pronounced "sourui")
He's not that impressive to begin with. It's like saying "my grades aren't great, but hey, I've never been late or absent."
Then Ohtani should just do that too…
He'll break… 🥺
Even when he does pitch, he usually only throws about half the innings of a normal starter, so honestly that math kind of checks out lol
Kind of sad to think he's entering the phase where it's all about managing the decline from here.
I thought he'd still be good at least through next year…
Background and Key Points
MVP voting is supposed to reflect a player’s total “value” — batting, baserunning, defense, and pitching combined — but this dispute exposed just how much that calculus can vary by evaluator. Heyman weighted the rarity of preventing runs as a pitcher more heavily than the everyday contribution of playing center field. Critics argued Ohtani’s value should be discounted given how few days he actually takes the field, and on 5ch the “part-time pitcher” label snowballed into a running joke about his start schedule and usage pattern. Worth noting: this is just one American reporter’s opinion, not an actual MVP vote result. Some replies in the thread veered into personal attacks unrelated to the article and have been left out.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Livegalileo board) thread “[Sad News] Shohei Ohtani Gets Saddled With the Dishonorable Nickname “Part-Time Pitcher” in America wwwww.”
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