In an unusual moment, Dodger Stadium resonated with the melody of “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé, Shohei Ohtani’s walk-up song. The Japanese star, after the music, headed to the field for a batting practice session, receiving an ironic ovation from his teammates. Ohtani responded with impressive home runs, one of which hit the roof beyond the right field stands. This batting practice, Ohtani’s first at Dodger Stadium since joining the team, could indicate the urgency of the moment. Although the Dodgers have advanced in the playoffs, Ohtani’s slump persists. Since the wild card round, his performance has been 2 hits in 25 at-bats, with 12 strikeouts. His RBI single in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series broke a 15-at-bat hitless streak, the second longest of his career.
Ohtani hit two home runs in the wild card victories against the Cincinnati Reds, but he encountered the opposition of the Philadelphia Phillies, who had three effective left-handed pitchers, with a record of 0-13 and seven strikeouts against Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez. The Milwaukee Brewers have attempted a similar strategy, using their best left-handed relievers against him. Aaron Ashby opened Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, where Ohtani received a walk. Subsequently, he faced another left-handed reliever, Jared Koenig, and was put out with a ground ball. In Game 2, he hit a single against Ashby and struck out against Robert Gasser, another left-handed reliever. Of Ohtani’s 40 plate appearances in these playoffs, 22 have been against left-handed pitchers, with only three times reaching base.I don’t necessarily think pitching has affected my hitting performance. As for pitching, as long as I control what I can control, I feel good about the results. In batting, stance and mechanics are a constant work in progress.
Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani was the starter in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, pitching six innings with three earned runs. He was expected to pitch in Game 1 or 2 of the National League Championship Series, but was relegated to Game 4. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained that the decision was based on aligning Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto so they could potentially pitch twice in the series, rather than helping Ohtani overcome his slump. Roberts called Ohtani’s at-bats in Milwaukee “fantastic”, even though he went 1-7.I think it’s a logical strategy for them to use a lot of left-handed pitchers against me. My main focus is to have better quality at-bats. In that sense, I’m always working on it.
Shohei Ohtani
I think he’s controlling the strike zone, he’s still aggressive when he gets his pitch. There was a fly ball to right field and three walks. He also hit a single in a scoring opportunity. Those are positives for me.
Dave RobertsIn his first season with the Dodgers in 2024, Ohtani was an impactful offensive player, and maintained his performance when he returned to pitching in 2025, with a batting line of .282/.392/.622, 55 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He is expected to be the MVP for the fourth time in five years. However, in the 14 days that he also pitched, his batting line slightly decreased to .222/.323/.556. When asked if he needed to readjust to the two-way role, Ohtani reiterated:
I know I might sound repetitive, but I don’t think it has affected me. I feel like I had a good season offensively, with quality at-bats. It’s hard to say, but yes, the same answer as before.
Shohei Ohtani
