Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A two-way superstar is struggling to find his rhythm at the plate despite dominant pitching performances this season.
- The team has tried adjusting pregame routines in hopes of sparking a turnaround, but results have yet to appear.
- Key injuries and emerging talent around him could help shift the momentum as the season progresses.
As it turns out, Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is human.
Baseball fans have collectively become so used to Ohtani dominating opposing pitching that seeing him hit .233 with a .767 OPS through nearly 200 plate appearances this season feels like an AI-generated mistake. Ohtani has only six home runs in 38 games, and none since April 26.
Sure, it's only the middle of May. But how strange have things gotten in Los Angeles? Ohtani, who rarely takes batting practice on the field, hopped in the cage ahead of Monday’s 9-3 home loss to the rival Giants. Unfortunately for Ohtani and the Dodgers, the change in pregame routine didn’t help much. Ohtani went hitless in five at-bats and didn’t hit the ball out of the infield.
"I thought the BP, the intent, was good," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. “I thought the homers to the big part of the field were really good, and then just in the game, it just sort of reverted back to what it's been.”
Should the Dodgers be concerned about Shohei Ohtani?
In fairness to Ohtani, not everything is going poorly. His .363 on-base percentage isn't too far from his career .374 average, and his 23.9-percent strikeout rate is down from last year. Ohtani's hitting struggles also make it easy to forget that he owns a 0.97 ERA and a 42-9 K-BB ratio in 37 innings on the mound. He's averaging over six innings per start and has only allowed two home runs, pitching like a true Cy Young candidate.
However, the bottom line is that Ohtani has been uncharacteristically mediocre at the plate, and the 24-17 Dodgers are also underperforming as a team. Then again, this is Ohtani we’re talking about. Just because he’s amid a prolonged slump doesn’t mean that it’s time to sound the alarm.
Ohtani has spoiled us since 2021, when he earned AL MVP honors and erased any doubt about him being an effective two-way player. His 44.1 bWAR during that time (30.1 at the plate and 14.1 as a pitcher), coupled with his four MVP awards, cemented his place as an all-time great. It’s difficult to envision Ohtani not being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he doesn't even turn 32 until July 5.
That’s why Ohtani deserves credit for being so open to taking on-field batting practice. He could have easily stuck with what he felt comfortable doing and used his decorated résumé as justification.
"I think the thought is understandable," Roberts said. "But when you're a really dangerous hitter and pitchers are not going to give in to you, then it's really not a good mindset. Because you sort of gotta take what they give you. And so tonight, they clearly weren't going to give in to him."
Given Ohtani's history, we feel confident projecting that he'll figure it out soon and fully resemble his normal self. All it takes is one mini-hot streak for a player of Ohtani’s caliber to completely turn things around. Mookie Betts’ return from an oblique injury should help, and center fielder Andy Pages has been phenomenal. The Dodgers could be in a far worse situation through a quarter of the season.
So, yes, we still have faith in Ohtani — and if taking on-field batting practice is the elixir, then we expect players leaguewide to follow.
Add us as a preferred source on Google