Greater Than Ohtani? How Other Top Performances Match Up Against The Dodgers’ Two-way Star

At nan intersection of nan Venn sketch of ways to execute greatness, Shohei Ohtani makes for a organization of one.

There person been 701 games successful which a subordinate deed 3 location runs, postseason included. There person been 10,259 games successful which a pitcher struck retired 10 batters aliases more. Those sets of greatness had ne'er intersected, nor would anybody expect them to, until Ohtani rewired our minds to what is possible.

It is simply a uncommon time successful sports erstwhile an jock plants a emblem connected unchartered ground. We are accustomed to records being broken—home runs successful a season, rushing yards successful a game, points successful a career, etc. It’s a crippled of perpetual leapfrog. But nan invention of accomplishment successful a crippled that’s been astir for a period and a half should operation wonderment successful moreover nan astir jaded of souls.

On apical of nan singularity of nan performance, nan timing of Ohtani’s mastery of 2 chopped skills heightened its humanities importance. The Dodgers won nan pennant down nan pitching and hitting of Ohtani successful Game 4 of nan National League Championship Series against Milwaukee.

Even if you considered only what Ohtani did connected nan mound you would beryllium placing it among historically awesome games. It was only nan 2nd clip successful postseason history a pitcher won a clinching crippled by pitching shutout shot pinch 10 strikeouts and nary much than 2 hits allowed. The different was by Justin Verlander, but not pinch nan World Series connected nan statement (2013 ALDS).

Until that nighttime it would look intolerable that a pitcher of specified caliber would besides nine 3 location runs, fto unsocial monolithic blasts that traveled 427 feet, 446 feet and, going clear retired of Dodger Stadium, 469 feet. In 1 night, Ohtani deed much location runs of 440 feet aliases much than he has allowed connected nan mound successful 102 profession games (1). He deed nan 3 hardest balls of nan nighttime (113.6 mph aliases more) and threw nan 11 fastest pitches of nan nighttime (99.2 mph aliases more). That’s madness.

Go ahead, sound yourself retired trying to find an jock who had a time of greater achievement, particularly erstwhile it comes to nan breadth of skills. Maybe you must agelong nan locale of accomplishment beyond nan boundaries of nan field. In nan 2007 Fiesta Bowl, for instance, Boise State moving backmost Ian Johnson scored nan winning two-point conversion to upset Oklahoma, then dropped to a knee to inquire his girlfriend, a cheerleader, to wed him. (She said yes.)

Umpire John Tumpane successful 2017 saved a woman who was astir to jump disconnected nan Roberto Clemente Bridge, past a fewer hours later proceeded to telephone balls and strikes pinch nan Clemente Bridge looming successful his sightline.

Those are awesome days successful sports. To find thing moreover adjacent to what Ohtani did connected nan section of competition, Sports Illustrated scoured nan awesome sports for nan champion individual performances.

MLB: Don Larsen

How could you beryllium amended than perfect? Don Larsen of nan Yankees retired each 27 batters he faced successful Game 5 of nan 1956 World Series to win, 2–0. It was ne'er done successful nan World Series before, and it has ne'er been done successful nan postseason since.

On nan biggest shape and pinch nan World Series tied 2 games each, Larsen threw 97 pitches and had 1 three-ball count. Known arsenic an eccentric (he smashed his car astatine 5 a.m. successful outpouring training), Larsen ditched his windup a fewer weeks earlier arsenic a defense against a Red Sox coach who was master astatine picking up pitch-tipping tells. His no-windup transportation flummoxed nan Dodgers, who had 5 early Hall of Famers successful their lineup (Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges and Roy Campanella).

So ascendant was Larsen that aft nan crippled Robinson walked complete to nan Yankees’ clubhouse to shingle his manus and personally congratulate him. “I’m still a youngster successful this game,” Robinson told Larsen, “but this was by acold nan finest pitching capacity I’ve ever seen.”

Greater than Ohtani? Because of his 3 homers and his pitching, Ohtani was amended than perfect. Larsen was 0-for-2 astatine nan sheet that day. —Tom Verducci

NFL: Tom Brady and Gayle Sayers

The easy reply present is nan correct one: Tom Brady becoming nan first backmost ever to triumph 5 Super Bowls aft starring nan Patriots backmost from a seemingly-insurmountable 28–3 shortage against nan Falcons successful February 2017. The Falcons led pinch 8:31 near successful nan 3rd quarter, and Brady had to beryllium conscionable astir cleanable from that constituent guardant for New England to moreover person a chance. —Albert Breer

Or is it Gayle Sayers, who was transcending thing erstwhile he fundamentally levitated complete a sloppy and disgusting Wrigley Field to people six touchdowns against nan 7–6 49ers backmost successful 1965. Sayers scored connected an 80-yard pass, 21-yard rush, 7-yard rush, 1-yard unreserved and 85-yard punt return. —Conor Orr

Greater than Ohtani? Orr and Breer make their cases here for these 2 very different NFL feats. 

Men’s basketball: Magic Johnson and Christian Laettner

Atop Magic Johnson’s lengthy database of accomplishments is 1 that makes a compelling lawsuit for nan top accomplishment successful NBA history: 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists successful Game 6 of nan 1980 NBA Finals. After losing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar precocious successful Game 5, nan Lakers flew to Philly, wherever Los Angeles’s flashy, 6’ 9” rookie constituent defender took over. —Chris Mannix

All it took to triumph nan 1992 NCAA Tournament East Region title and gain a Final Four berth was perfection. Christian Laettner supplied it. In Duke’s classic, 104–103 overtime triumph complete Kentucky, Laettner made each 10 of his section extremity attempts and each 10 of his free throws and vanished pinch 31 points. —Pat Forde

Greater than Ohtani? Mannix considers nan hefty two-way play of some Ohtani and Johnson successful close-out games successful a playoff series, while Forde looks astatine Laettner’s legendary perfection here. 

Tennis: Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams 

Before nan 2024 season, Novak Djokovic had called his shot, Babe Ruth style, announcing to nan world his ambition to triumph Olympic golden for Serbia, nan lone missing introduction connected his unrivaled tennis résumé. In what he deemed nan biggest lucifer of his life, he played adjacent flawless tennis. His shots licked nan lines; he outserved his younger opponent, Carlos Alcaraz; supra all, he won nan points freighted pinch nan astir pressure. Djokovic prevailed 7–6, 7–6.

Serena Williams’s first awesome title was nan eventual enactment of foreshadowing. Age 17 and regarded arsenic not moreover nan champion subordinate successful her ain family, she went from “respected” to “feared” successful a matter of days, beating 4 early Hall of Famers to scope nan 1999 U.S. Open final. There, Serena faced Martina Hingis, nan apical seed and world’s No.1 player.  —Jon Wertheim

Greater than Ohtani? Wertheim argues here that 1 of these conscionable mightiness person been…

Golf: Tiger Woods and Karrie Webb

Tiger Woods group a awesome title grounds erstwhile he was nan only subordinate nether par, shooting 12 nether astatine Pebble Beach to triumph nan 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes. Woods had 2 bogey-free rounds while nan different 155 players successful nan section mixed for one. And he made conscionable six bogeys aliases worse complete 72 holes. —Bob Harig

Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb were nan header rivals of nan LPGA arsenic nan almanac turned to 2000, but Webb put a impermanent extremity to nan statement pinch a 10-shot triumph astatine nan Nabisco Championship—her 5th triumph successful six starts. Webb went wire-to-wire astatine Mission Hills Country Club, and put a headdress connected it all, making a Sunday hole-in-one connected nan measurement to decorativeness 14 under. —John Schwarb

Greater than Ohtani? Harig and Schwarb explicate here that some shot and play knew who their very champion were successful these moments of sports history. 

Swimming: Leon Marchand and Katie Ledecky

While Michael Phelps winning golden medals connected nan aforesaid time successful nan 200-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle relay astatine nan 2008 Beijing Olympics should beryllium considered, Leon Marchand had a double that didn’t impact a relay. The Frenchman’s 200-meter breaststroke/200-meter butterfly double golden blew nan tile disconnected nan venue astatine nan 2024 Paris Olympics, achieving some successful a span of 2 hours and mounting Olympic records successful some events. 

Katie Ledecky, queen of each freestyle, showed immoderate Ohtani-esque versatility successful 2015 amended than immoderate female has. On Aug. 4 astatine World Aquatics Championships, Ledecky dove successful for a preliminary power of nan 200-meter free, qualifying first for nan semifinals that night. But earlier she could aquatics that semi, she had to return attraction of nan 1,500-meter free, during which she group a world grounds that would guidelines for 3 years, until she collapsed it again. —P.F. 

Greater than Ohtani? Forde states his lawsuit here that 1 of these seemingly tireless swimmers could scope Ohtani’s period of greatness. 

Gymnastics: Kenzo Shirai and Maria Gorokhovskaya 

On Oct. 5, 2013, astatine nan World Championships successful Antwerp, Belgium, 17-year-old Japanese gymnast Kenzo Shirai debuted 2 brand-new skills successful nan last of nan level exercise, a backward quadruple-twisting layout somersault (named nan Shirai for him), and a guardant triple-twisting layout somersault (named nan Shirai II). His regular contained a preposterous 22 ¼ twists and made him nan youngest antheral world champion successful nan event.

The top time successful women’s gymnastics history has to beryllium July 23, 1952, erstwhile Soviet gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya won 5 medals—one gold, successful nan individual all-around, and 4 silvers, 1 each successful nan level exercise, nan vault, nan uneven bars and nan equilibrium beam. That was nan astir Olympic medals ever for a woman—and she won them successful a day. —Stephanie Apstein

Greater than Ohtani? Apstein explains here why 1 of these gymnasts conscionable mightiness beryllium amended than Ohtani, but is unfastened to further consideration. 

Soccer: Zinedine Zidane and Marta 

France’s World Cup quarterfinal against defending champion Brazil successful 2006 was a one-man masterclass. Zinedine Zidane, who delivered respective dazzling sequences and group up nan only extremity of nan game, was gliding astir knowing this was his past tourney earlier retirement. This was Zidane unshackled.  —Grey Whitebloom

The U.S. women’s nationalist squad was connected a 51-match unbeaten streak erstwhile it walked retired to look Brazil successful nan semifinal of nan 2007 Women’s World Cup, wherever 47,818 group astatine Yellow Dragon Stadium, successful Hangzhou, China, gazed retired assuming nan favored Americans would advance. Instead, nan fans were treated to Marta, who had 2 goals and an assistance arsenic nan top powerhouse successful women’s shot tasted its biggest tourney defeat. —Theo Lloyd-Hughes

Greater than Ohtani? Whitebloom and Lloyd-Hughes ponder these world shot greats here against nan Japanese wizard of baseball. 

Women’s basketball: Maya Moore and Sheryl Swoopes 

There are (just a few) different players who person dropped 40 points successful nan WNBA playoffs. But location are nary who person done it to lead their squad to triumph successful specified a adjacent game, while besides making an effect connected truthful galore different areas of nan level for illustration Maya Moore successful nan 2015 semifinals. The Lynx’ 72–71 triumph complete nan Mercury hinged wholly connected Moore, who besides had 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals to nonstop Minnesota to nan Finals.

While location are immoderate compelling possibilities for assemblage hoops, it’s champion not to overcomplicate this. There’s a logic that Sheryl Swoopes’s 47 points successful nan 1993 nationalist title traditionally gets this nod. No 1 has ever travel up bigger successful a title game. Swoopes was a virtually unstoppable scoring threat successful nan lane, down nan arc and astatine nan line, and brought Texas Tech its first and only title pinch an 84–82 triumph complete Ohio State. —Emma Baccellieri

Greater than Ohtani? Baccellieri analyzes here nan effect Moore and Swoopes had successful their clutch postseason performances compared to Ohtani. 

College football: Vince Young 

The top assemblage shot crippled of nan 21st period was decided by nan top individual effort of immoderate century, erstwhile Texas backmost Vince Young simply said: I’m taking over. Young led Texas to nan 2005 nationalist title pinch a thrilling triumph complete USC, 41–38 He threw for 267 yards that nighttime and ran for different 200 and 3 touchdowns. USC had its 34-game winning streak snapped, denying nan Trojans a nationalist title three-peat. —P.F.

Greater than Otani? Forde considers here if nan dual-threat backmost is arsenic versatile arsenic nan Dodgers’ two-way threat. 

NHL: Dominik Hasek’s 70-save shutout

On April 27, 1994, nan Devils walked into Buffalo Memorial Auditorium and a wall. The champion goalie successful NHL history put connected nan champion capacity of his life. 

Facing elimination, against a squad that vanished 2nd successful nan NHL successful goals and would triumph nan Stanley Cup nan pursuing season, nan Sabres’ Dominik Hasek sounded 2 shutouts successful 1 night. He had 70 saves successful a four-overtime 1–0 win, forcing a Game 7.

Shots connected extremity tin beryllium a misleading stat. But if you watch each 70 of Hasek’s saves, you’ll see: The Devils had a ton of awesome chances. Hasek stopped two-on-ones and breakaways and rebounds and shots erstwhile he appeared to beryllium screened. He did it each successful his inimitable style, an unconventional fusion of unparalleled reflexes, athleticism and intuition. Hasek wasn’t conscionable amended than different goalies, he was an unsolvable mystery.

On his 63rd save, he dropped his stick. He made his 67th prevention lying connected his back, pinch his caput facing distant from nan man who changeable it, Bill Guerin. The crippled ended astatine 1:52 am—six hours and 13 minutes aft it began. Hasek went connected to extremity 44 of 46 shots successful a Game 7 loss. But Game 6 was his masterpiece.

Greater than Ohtani? No. Hasek did what different awesome goalies person done, isolated from better. —Michael Rosenberg

MMA: Holly Holm takes Ronda Rousey’s title successful 2015

This was nan UFC’s balanced of Tyson-Douglas successful Tokyo. A champion (Ronda Rousey) who wasn’t simply winning fights but dominating, instilling fearfulness and winning six consecutive title defenses, often successful a matter of seconds. A seasoned challenger (Holly Holm) who entered pinch small oddsmakers chance, and small profile, but besides small fear. A far-flung location (Melbourne) that added to nan surreal vibes. First, Holm survived Rousey’s onslaught. Then, she began to initiate nan action. As she connected pinch fists and kicks and elbows, landing nan mostly of nan important strikes, Holm’s assurance swelled arsenic Rousey’s look swelled. Then, precocious successful nan 2nd round, it came: a precocious near footwear that collided violently pinch Rousey’s caput and ended nan conflict … a perfectly executed onslaught to headdress disconnected a perfectly executed fightplan. Rousey would ne'er beryllium nan aforesaid combatant and earlier agelong would decamp to nan WWE. As nan caller bantamweight champ, Holm would ne'er replicate this high. But for 1 night, it was mixed, it was martial, it was creation … MMA astatine its astir elevated.

Greater than Ohtani? Can we telephone it a method draw? —J.W.