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Originally Posted by bluejays
Re: Ohtani on the Jays, it's a situation we'd have never known, but baseball is batter against the pitcher. I don't believe at all for a second that other lackluster players on the team would've upped their game. The lineup isn't a threat at all. Literally you have Vlad as the only batter who will continue to be pitched around. So unlike hockey where if you surround yourself with better players they can influence the play, with baseball it isn't the same. Certainly Ohtani could've batted more guys in, but we've struggled getting on base. That's a talent issue in the lineup. If the Jays did get Ohtani, there may have been more spending to bring certainty to the lineup instead of the nonsense defence first thing they tried selling. Anyway, I truly don't believe in guys playing better just because they have someone on their team who can hit. If Ohtani mentors and teaches his batting swing to others, and if it works for them, sure I can buy is, but just through osmosis? Not buying into that at all. This team's lineup just doesn't have the talent.
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I don't think you need him to make everyone else better though. He's better enough on his own that they'd have 7 more wins, and that would have them in the playoffs. Like you said, it's batter vs pitcher, and he's 35 HR better than the people we've had in that slot. All those extra runs mean you'd win more games.
It's not like he'd need to teach Biggio how to hit, he just has to hit like himself and it makes a huge difference.