Whatever team gets free-agent reliever Adam Ottavino, it will have a confident pitcher.
Assessing the state of today’s game on MLB’s Statcast podcast, the 33-year-old right-hander said that Babe Ruth couldn’t keep up.
“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.”
Ottavino had a breakout 2018 campaign, appearing in 75 games with a 2.43 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings. That came after he posted a 5.06 ERA with 63 K’s in 53 1/3 innings the year before.
In a 22-year career, Ruth batted .342 with 714 homers. He is the all-time leader in slugging percentage at .690 and OPS at 1.164.
And Ruth likely could strike out Ottavino every time. The left-hander started his career as a pitcher with the Red Sox, winning 20 games twice and posting a career 2.28 ERA. He won two game in the 1918 World Series when the Red Sox beat the Cubs in six games.