Barry Bonds Says Shohei Ohtani Would Have A Tougher Time In His Day

It's a tale as old as time: a retired sports legend says that the modern-day player has it easier than it was back in the old days. And one of the best ever baseball players is now applying that poor logic to all-world superstar Shohei Ohtani.

Former San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates legend Barry Bonds, the all-time Major League Baseball home run leader, says that Ohtani has it easier than he did. Appearing on the "All the Smoke" podcast, Bonds said that it's a "different game" now than in his day.

"The game has just changed," Bonds said. "The game is way different than it was when I played. The same way Michael (Jordan) talks about it or anybody does. Ohtani is not gonna hit two home runs without seeing one go (by his ear) in my generation. I don't care what he does. He's not gonna steal two bases without someone decapitating his kneecap to slow him down. It's a different game back then."

This is, of course, absurd. 

Bonds though did say that Ohtani is a "complete player," and that he's accomplished a lot on both sides of the ball.

"The pitching and hitting have been outstanding for what he's done," Bonds said. "Baserunning. He's a complete player. There's no doubt about the type of player he is and what he's accomplished in his career."

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani throws a bullpen session during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on Feb. 19, 2025. Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Barry Bonds Is Wrong About Modern Era

Bonds' argument seems to be that it's easier to play today because players can celebrate without fear or retaliation. 

"They should be better than us hitting-wise, because they can hit a home run, throw their bat up in the air, run around, get a taco, come back down and have a limo drive them around," Bonds continued. "All these antics that we weren't allowed to do."

That's true, it is a lot "safer" to celebrate now than it was in the 1990's and early 2000's. What he misses though, and what's far more important, is that it's much, much harder to hit now than it was when he played.

The average fastball velocity in the early 2000's was in the upper 80's. Like, 87mph upper 80's. By 2007 when Bonds retired it had reached 91mph. It's now over 94mph. During Bonds' peak seasons, the average fastball was roughly 7mph slower than it is today. That's the average. 

Ben Joyce of the Los Angeles Angels hit 106mph on a pitch in 2024. That's nearly 20mph faster than the average fastball during Bonds' peak years. 

It's not just velocity; advancements in tracking data has made it possible for coaches and pitchers to design different types of pitches and shapes. That allows them to optimize the tunneling effect that makes two pitches look identical until closer to the plate.

The decline in offensive numbers isn't due to hitters getting worse, it's due to pitchers getting better. What Ohtani's doing is significantly more difficult than much of what Bonds did. And he isn't cheating by using steroids either. 

None of this accounts for his pitching ability either. Baseball simply has never seen anyone like Shohei Ohtani, and likely never will again. We are living through the reality of "back in my day" right now. Bonds didn't.