By versatility, I mean players who do more (and often are better) at various aspects of a sport than what unidimensional athletes bring to the game. Here are examples of what I mean.
Versatility in ice hockey has changed from previous generations, where skill and toughness represented the polished player. Today, the hallmark of versatility might more accurately be portrayed by a player’s ability to score and control the game’s tempo. For example, North American football has moved from emphasizing tall, gunslinging quarterbacks who throw from the pocket to QBs who can also run, juke, bust tackles, and elude defensive backs.
Perhaps the best example of versatility is MLB’s Shohei Ohtani, a player with unprecedented skills as a hitter and pitcher. He might not be the first. Jac Caglianone, Kansas City’s top prospect, is listed as a 1B/LHP. Then there’s Dodger’s center fielder Kike Hernandez, who hit a pivotal home run off the Padres’ Yu Darvish in the National League Divisional Series. Hernandez, who played most of that game as an outfielder (solidly, I might add), switched to third base in the 9th inning. He cleanly fielded two sharp ground balls and fired the ball accurately to first in both instances, with the second throw ending the game, giving Los Angeles the win and the Series.
That’s a great example of a versatile player coming through in a high-pressure situation.
Versatility is not going unnoticed. MLB rosters are filled with players who will play multiple positions on demand. Consider what the Tigers’ Andrew Romine did in 2017: he played all nine positions in a single game. Then there’s Pat Venditte, the ambidextrous pitcher, a right- and left-hander, the same as Jurrangelo Cijntje, who has hit the high 90s as a rightie and leftie.
In the NBA, great value is attributed to players who can excel at both ends of the floor. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name comes to mind because he’s a one-person–a great scorer and an equally great defender. In the NHL, versatility is recognized as a player’s ability to create offense and score and contain the opposition’s ability to do the same. Consider the work of the Avalanche’s Cale Makar, who helped the team win the 2022 Stanley Cup. A defenceman, Makar took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most outstanding player in the playoffs that year, scoring eight goals and totaling 29 points in 20 games. That performance came after a 28-goal and 86-point regular season performance. Comparisons were made to the great Bobby Orr, a defenceman like Makar who had an offensive impact.
Kyler Murray is well-known as not only a versatile, but a potential two-sport athlete in the same mold of a Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders. After early deliberation following his decorated college career at Oklahoma, football won out over baseball. NFL fans are now witnessing Murray’s versatility, including the ability to throw in the pocket, evade tackles, and throw on the run. He can stop, turn on a dime, and find holes, similar to what Barry Sanders used to do and how Michael Vick used to play.
Versatility offers a glimpse into a new era of professional sports: exceptional players who go beyond the conventional ability to do one thing well. They do many things well at the highest level of competition.
