Shohei Ohtani is the only player who is considered “two-way” by major league baseball. That means he’s not a pitcher or a hitter: he’s really considered both.
But a second could be added in 2025: Michael Lorenzen.
In fact, as Ken Rosenthal reports, Lorenzen would like to start hitting in 2025. But he doesn’t want to do it because he wants to bat: he wants to do it to make himself attractive to a good team. .
After all, Ohtani will allow the Dodgers, in 2025, to be the only team with 14 pitchers. The limit of 13 doesn’t have a two-way guy like him, which gives the Dodgers an advantage. And Lorenzen wants that, that status.
Obviously, to be eligible for this, Lorenzen will have to meet the conditions. He will be required to pitch at least 20 innings and strike out at least three times in 20 different games in 2025.
And if it succeeds, it will have the status not only for 2025, but also for 2026.
The problem? Lorenzen is not a TRUE hitter. So he’ll have to find a team that’s willing to waste about 60 at-bats as the go-to hitter knowing full well that he won’t do anything good offensively.
And as Rosenthal points out, there’s pretty much just the Marlins and White Sox who can afford that. So are the Rockies, but does he really want to pitch in Colorado?
The plan, if it comes to fruition, would be to sign in Miami or Chicago and be traded to a good team after 20 starts, or around the trade deadline.
He could also be DH every day and get status in April…but that’s less likely.
Thus, it would be more attractive for a team to pick him up at the deadline with special status, in order to ensure sacrosanct flexibility for the playoffs.
Having 14 pitchers in the playoffs instead of 13 would be worth gold. And since Ohtani has never pitched in the playoffs, it hasn’t happened since the 13-pitcher-per-lineup limit.
Lorenzen would win by going for historic status and the club that signs him this winter would have a good pitcher to start the year and a prospect in return for his services at the deadline.
Not everyone could afford that, but if they can do it, do it. And hats off to the person who thought of such a plan because it’s truly genius.
