2 weeks Ago
Shohei Ohtani is not publicly known, nor personally sees himself, as a quick starter at the plate. "Overall, in my career," he said through interpreter Will Ireton, "I don't really have a hot start in the beginning of the season." This year, that's technically true again — but only if you hold the reigning National League MVP to his own stratospheric standards.
Through the opening three weeks, all of Ohtani's triple-slash stats are down from last year (.288/.380/.
550), but only because his 2024 marks (.310/.390/.
646) all topped the NL. Same story with a .930 OPS that is more than 100 points lower than his gaudy 2024 total, but still good enough to rank top 20 in the majors.
Advertisement Dodgers Bobby Miller struggles, but Dodgers complete sweep of Rockies Bobby Miller's 2024 struggles spill over to new year (six runs in three innings), but Dodgers offense bails him out in win over Rockies. With six home runs and five stolen bases, Ohtani isn't quite on mathematical pace for another 50-homer, 50-steal season; but is on an early track to become the first player in MLB history with multiple 40/40 campaigns. And though he has taken a few more awkward swings than normal in the opening three weeks, he has started honing in on his power stroke, too, leading off Wednesday's win over the Colorado Rockies with a towering 448-foot blast that almost cleared the right-field pavilion.
"I think overall," he said, "it's been a really good first 20 games." The only true area of regression so far has been in one statistical category; where a glaring drop in production has signaled a key early-season problem for the team. After racking up 130 RBIs in 159 games last year, Ohtani has just eight in this season's opening 20 contests.
Seven of them have come via his six home runs (all but one of...
Jack Harris.
