“That’s who Shohei Ohtani is” – Deion Sanders feels Dodgers superstar is on par with all-time greats such as Michael Jordan and Tom Brady (Photo

US sports icon Deion Sanders believes the level of performance that Shohei Ohtani has displayed over his career can be compared to all-time greats of other sports like Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. According to Sanders, only a couple of players from his generation could have been capable of matching Ohtani’s achievement of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season.

Deion Sanders is a two-time NFL champion who also played nine seasons in the MLB with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. Sanders holds the unique distinction of being the only person to play in both a Super Bowl as well as a World Series. He is presently serving as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes football team in NCAA Division I.

During a press conference for his team on Tuesday, Deion Sanders was asked to share his thoughts on the achievements of Shohei Ohtani this season.

“Ohtani, he’s incredible, man,” Sanders said. “You can compare him to the Jordans and the Tom Bradys of the world. That’s who he is. He’s doing things that we haven’t fathomed.

“It don’t make sense,” Sanders remarked on Ohtani becoming the inaugural member of the 50-50 club. “I think the only person who could have done that was [Jose] Canseco or Barry Bonds.”

In 1988, Jose Canseco became the first player in major league history to hit 40 home runs and collect 40 stolen bases in a single season, and Barry Bonds also accomplished the feat eight years later.

Last month, Shohei Ohtani became the sixth player to join the 40-40 club and the first player from the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach the milestone. Ohtani not only reached the mark at a record pace but also became the first player to achieve the feat as a DH.

60-60 the next target for Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani has set a new single-season home run record for the Dodgers this year (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Earlier this month, Shohei Ohtani became the first player to produce 45 home runs and 45 stolen bases in an MLB season. Last week, he extended his tally to 50-50 with an incredible performance while also setting the LA Dodgers record for home runs in a single campaign. Ohtani capped off the feat by going 6-6 in the game, which included two doubles, three home runs, two steals, and 10 RBIs.

At the moment, the Japanese superstar has 53 home runs and 55 stolen bases and is probably targeting ending the season at 60-60. Therefore, he would need to get seven home runs and five stolen bases in the remaining six games of the regular season to accomplish this incredible feat.

Although the challenge is extremely stiff, it is impossible to rule out Shohei Ohtani right now, especially considering what he has achieved over the past 30 days.