Adam Ottavino: ‘I Would Strike Babe Ruth Out Every Time’

Confidence is one of the most admirable traits one can have. However, just like with any good thing, people can take confidence way too far.

A free agent, right-hand relief pitcher has just done that.

During an interview on MLB.com’s Statcast Podcast, free agent Adam Ottavino made quite possibly the boldest claim in the history of sports. While discussing how he would match-up with baseball legend Babe Ruth, Ottavino told host Mike Petriello: “I would strike Babe Ruth out every time:”

‘I had an argument with a coach in Triple-A about Babe Ruth’s effectiveness in today’s game,’ Ottavino said. ‘I said, ‘Babe Ruth, with that swing, swinging that bat, I got him hitting .140 with eight homers.’

He was like, ‘are you nuts? Babe Ruth would hit .370 with 60 homers,’ and I’m like, ‘I would strike Babe Ruth out every time.’

I’m not trying to disrespect him, you know, rest in peace, you know, shout out to Babe Ruth. But, it was a different game, I mean the guy ate hot dogs and drank beer and did whatever he did. It was just a different game.

Now, putting aside the fact that there’s no way to substantiate any of this because Ottavino is alive and Ruth is dead. There are some things that need to be said at the outset.

It is true that athletes today are infinitely more fine-tuned than they were when Ruth played. However, drinking beer and eating hot dogs doesn’t necessarily mean those players would be completely inept in the modern game. Nicaraguan boxing great Ricardo Mayorga used to drink beer and smoke a pack of cigarettes every day, and he still competed at the championship level in a sport that is far more athletically demanding than baseball.

That having been said, Ruth would likely have a very hard time hitting 60 home runs off the modern pitcher. The modern pitcher throws much harder than the pitchers Ruth faced. Plus, “The Bambino” played during a time where he would face one, maybe two pitchers per game. Nowadays, the modern hitter could routinely see four different pitchers in a game.

That would blow Ruth’s mind.

Though, Ottavino’s claim that he would “strike Babe Ruth out every time,” is flatly absurd.

According to The Big Lead, “Ottavino has averaged 10.8 K/9 in his career. He does have some nasty stuff. But Ruth, well, was Babe freaking Ruth. In addition to all his ridiculous numbers, Ruth struck out just 1,330 times in 10,623 plate appearances. By comparison, he drew over 2,000 walks. Today’s power hitter would kill to make such routine contact.”

And that’s the real point. Would Babe Ruth be a legend in today’s game? Probably not. Though, he would still in all likelihood have an excellent career. But Ottavino’s contention is rooted in the modern baseball reality where every hitter swings for the fences every time they go to the plate. As many home runs as Ruth hit, he played in an era that valued making contact and putting the ball in play.

And he was one of the very best to do it.

Therefore, the final verdict in this absurd and unsubstantiated yet fun hypothetical, is that Adam Ottavino would probably fare better against Ruth than many of the pitchers who faced the Yankee legend in his day. However, there is no way that Ottavino, or any other pitcher for that matter, would strike out one of the greatest hitters to ever hit, every time.