Who is Ohtani's 'biggest fan'? CC Sabathia!

CLEVELAND -- Former Indians, Brewers and Yankees ace CC Sabathia, who attended Friday’s game between the Angels and Indians after having a local baseball park dedicated in his honor, couldn’t help but beam about the chance to watch Shohei Ohtani in person.

Sabathia, a six-time All-Star and the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner, has been an unabashed fan of Ohtani since his rookie year in 2018, and said he’s constantly in awe of what the two-way star is able to do on the field.

"When I saw that dude play for the first time, I said he was the greatest player I'd ever seen,” Sabathia said. “And people freaked out over that comment. But there's nobody who does what he does at that level. It's amazing to watch him. I watch all his starts. I live on the East Coast, so I have to set a timer to watch it, but I’m probably his biggest fan.”

Sabathia was then asked what sticks out the most about Ohtani, who leads the Majors with 40 homers and is 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 100 innings as a pitcher, and he had a surprising answer.

“His speed and how big he is,” Sabathia said of Ohtani, who also has 18 stolen bases this year. “I didn’t realize that until 2019, when I got a chance to see him [in-person]. He hit a two-hopper to Didi [Gregorius] and he beat it out. And before that, he hit a 95 mph fastball from [Luis] Severino out. There’s nothing he can’t do. I haven’t seen him pitch live, but I watch him on TV a bunch and he’s really getting settled in as a pitcher. More strikes, pitching to contact. As long as he stays healthy, he’ll be something special to watch for years to come.”

Sabathia spent most of his career in the American League outside of a brief stint with the Brewers, but often talked about how much he enjoyed hitting. It’s another reason why Sabathia enjoys watching Ohtani so much, and he made an apt comparison, especially with Cleveland and Los Angeles set to play in the Little League Classic on Sunday.

“It’s why I love this guy,” Sabathia said. “He’s doing what every kid wants. The Little League World Series is going on and the best guy on the team is the pitcher ... and he hits all the homers and is the best player. Ohtani is literally playing Little League in the Majors. I thought I could hit, but nothing like that.”

But would Sabathia, in his prime, get Ohtani out at the plate? Sabathia showed he hasn’t lost his confidence in retirement.

“I would’ve definitely got him out, no doubt,” Sabathia said with a laugh. “For sure. I’d throw him two-seamers in and sliders.”