'Is manga baseball now over?' May batting average of 0.111 for Ohtani: "Seems to be forcing swings" Roberts manager sighs

*This content was translated by AI.

Is the baseball of a top-tier star like Ohtani, who is only seen in manga, now disappearing into history? Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers), who started the season as a two-way player, is causing concern as he falls into a deep slump at the plate, unlike the expectations for him to win the Cy Young Award as a pitcher.

Ohtani has appeared in all 41 games the team has played this season, recording a batting average of 0.233 (146 at-bats, 34 hits), 6 home runs, 16 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 5 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of 0.363, a slugging percentage of 0.404, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.767.

For Ohtani, who won the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for three consecutive years since 2023 and exceeded an OPS of 1.000 in all those seasons, these figures can be seen as somewhat shocking.

Looking at his May performance makes the situation even more serious. In 9 games, he recorded a batting average of 0.111 (36 at-bats, 4 hits), 0 home runs, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs scored, while striking out 10 times. His on-base percentage was only 0.220, and his slugging percentage was a mere 0.139. He had only one extra-base hit, a double.

The situation is completely different as a pitcher. Ohtani, who underwent elbow surgery and played only as a designated hitter in 2024, began performing as a two-way player toward the end of last season and has been pitching and hitting simultaneously from the start of this season. In 6 games, he pitched 37 innings with a record of 3 wins and 2 losses, and an ERA of 0.97, posting overwhelming statistics. His batting average against is 0.160, and his walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) is 0.81, already making him a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award.

While the very act of being a two-way player is considered nearly impossible in modern baseball, it is indeed a pity that Ohtani, who has previously done this difficult feat so incredibly well, is now struggling.

In the 2021 and 2023 seasons when he won the MVP, he performed at an elite level in both pitching and hitting. In 2021, as a pitcher, he recorded 9 wins, an ERA of 3.18, and 156 strikeouts, while as a hitter, he hit 46 home runs, drove in 100 runs, scored 103 runs, and posted an OPS of 0.964. In 2023, due to injury aftermath, he appeared in only 23 games as a pitcher but recorded 10 wins and 5 losses, an ERA of 3.14, and 167 strikeouts. As a hitter, he played in 135 games, batting 0.304 with 44 home runs, 91 RBIs, 102 runs scored, and an OPS of 1.066, becoming an undisputed MVP.

Compared to that, his hitting statistics this season are simply disappointing. Sports Illustrated (SI) highlighted Ohtani's slump on the 12th (Korean time), stating, "He has started a full-time season as a pitcher and is performing brilliantly, but it seems he is feeling some burden in his performance at the plate because of that."

Dave Roberts, manager of the Dodgers, is taking Ohtani's slump seriously. In an unusual move, he also offered some harsh words to Ohtani. He said, "Even when his hitting wasn't good early in the season, he was able to draw walks and get on base. But right now, especially in tonight's game (the 12th), it seems he is trying to force his way out of situations with swings. You can see it. Many players try to overcome slumps by swinging, and tonight was one of those days."

He continued, "I understand his mindset, but if he is truly a threatening hitter and pitchers are trying to avoid a direct confrontation, that mindset is not good. He must accept the pitches thrown to him. The opposing pitchers tonight were clearly trying to avoid a direct confrontation with him, but Ohtani took the bait."

Along with Ohtani's slump, the Dodgers are also struggling. They have lost three consecutive games, handing over the lead in the National League West Division to the San Diego Padres, and have lost four of their last six series.

Although he pitched last year, playing full-time as a pitcher is for the first time in three years since 2023. In the meantime, Ohtani has aged, and it is true that his physical burden has inevitably increased. Manager Roberts explained, "It seems he is losing his timing on fastballs. Normally, he would have hit a ball at belt height to the wide parts of the field (outfield), but his timing is late, or he is hitting the bottom part of the bat. This definitely means his timing is late. I don't know if it's a mechanical issue, but balls that would have been doubles or home runs when his hitting was good are now becoming pop-ups or fly balls to the left field."

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*This content was translated by AI.