Two-way players are teammates who can pitch and hit. They often are placed in the designated hitter role to increase their at-bats. There are rare examples—some would say unicorns—in the major league baseball canon. While the Los Angeles Angels’ Japanese star Shohei Ohtani has wowed fans recently by succeeding as a pitcher and a hitter, his versatile skills are a true rarity in the majors.
It’s no surprise. Pitching and hitting are two separate skill sets and the increased focus on specialization in professional sports means players will tend to focus on the area in which they excel.