When it comes to some of his most unique feats on a baseball field, Shohei Ohtani can often only be compared to Babe Ruth.
Before Ohtani dazzled modern-day baseball, the Babe was the original two-way legend. In the near-century between their illustrious careers, Major League Baseball's rules have seen a lot of changes, down to the regulation around how two-way players can be used in games.
Many of the rules around two-way players, from who qualifies as one to whether they can hit and pitch in the same game, has evolved since Ohtani's Major League debut in 2018. Here's everything you need to know about two-way players:
What is a two-way player?
Every player on a team's active roster must generally be designated as a position player or a pitcher. However, for players who meet certain criteria, there is a third designation: two-way player.
Teams are limited to carrying 13 pitchers on their roster (14 after rosters expand on Sept. 1 through the end of the regular season). Position players are not allowed to pitch unless the game is in extra innings or involves a sizable deficit -- their team is losing by eight or more runs, or their team is winning by 10 or more runs in the ninth inning -- when they take the mound. Two-way players, though, are allowed to pitch in any game situation and do not count toward a team's 13-pitcher roster limit.
Who qualifies as a two-way player?
Two-way players have to meet the following conditions in either the active MLB season or any of the prior two seasons:
- Started at least 20 MLB games as a position player or designated hitter, with a minimum of three plate appearances in each
- Pitched at least 20 MLB innings
What is the 'Ohtani rule'?
Before the 2022 season, two-way players could only hit and pitch in the same game for the duration of their outing on the mound. The rule was then changed to allow starting pitchers who bat for themselves to remain in the game as the designated hitter after they're done on the mound.
Per Rule 5.11(b): "In the event the starting pitcher will bat for himself, the player will be considered two separate people for purposes of Rule 5.11(a). In such cases, the manager should list 10 players on his team’s lineup card, and this player should be named twice -- once as the starting pitcher and once as the Designated Hitter. Thus, if the starting pitcher is replaced, he can continue as the Designated Hitter (but can no longer pitch in the game), and if the Designated Hitter is replaced, he can continue as the pitcher (but can no longer hit for himself). If the player is simultaneously replaced both as a starting pitcher and Designated Hitter, he cannot be replaced by another two-way player filling both roles as separate people (this can be done only once on the initial lineup card by identifying that the starting pitcher will bat for himself)."
Does the 'Ohtani rule' apply to relief appearances?
Two-way players are only listed twice on the lineup card when they are the starting pitcher. If a two-way player started as the designated hitter, then made a defensive switch to pitcher, he could only remain in the lineup for as long as he stays on the mound.
Per Rule 5.11(b): "If that [two-way player] pitcher bats or runs as Designated Hitter, such move will not terminate the Designated Hitter role for that Club; neither will the role be terminated in the event that Designated Hitter assumes the role of pitcher on defense. However, if that player is switched from the mound or Designated Hitter role to a position on defense other than pitcher, such move will terminate the Designated Hitter role for that Club for the remainder of the game."
When a two-way player is the starting pitcher but is not in the lineup, can he hit in that game later?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is more complicated.
Two-way players who are listed only as the starting pitcher cannot pinch-hit because they are not on the lineup card twice. They also cannot switch to designated hitter without limitations. Per Rule 5.11(a)(10): "Once the game pitcher bats or runs for the Designated Hitter, such move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for that Club for the remainder of the game. The game pitcher may pinch-hit or pinch-run only for the Designated Hitter."
Two-way players can make a switch from pitcher to another defensive position, but that also causes the team to lose the designated hitter role. Per Rule 5.11(a)(8): "Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a position on defense, such move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for that Club for the remainder of the game."