Shohei Ohtani Could Force MLB Rule Changes This Winter

“The current rules limit teams to 13 pitchers on their 26-man roster, but since Ohtani is a two-way player, he doesn’t count towards the Dodgers’ roster limit, in essence giving the Dodgers 14 pitchers.”

The Dodgers operate with a six-man starting rotation to accommodate Ohtani so he can recover adequately from his extra exertions as a DH. Therefore, their advantage becomes somewhat limited as they ultimately have the same number of relief pitchers as other teams.

MLB Teams Want Greater Flexibility To Counter Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Advantage

With the Los Angeles Dodgers having extra options due to Shohei Ohtani being a two-way player, teams want greater roster flexibility. The pitch clock now makes the rule redundant, despite its original purpose of improving the pace of the game.

“GMs want the ability to construct the roster the way they desire, enabling them to have more pitchers on the roster and fewer position players, if they so choose,” Nightengale wrote.

“The original rule was designed to speed up games with fewer available relievers and pitching changes, but with a pitch clock now greatly speeding up the game in place, that concern may be alleviated.”

Having Ohtani on the roster can open many unforeseen perks, especially for a powerhouse such as the Dodgers. For now, the reigning two-time World Series champions will continue to enjoy this “Ohtani advantage.”