Shohei Ohtani’s home run drought reached 110 plate appearances, marking the longest homerless streak of his Major League Baseball career since he debuted in 2018. The slump coincides with a postseason batting average of .150, with just three hits in 20 at-bats as the Dodgers face a critical deficit in the National League Championship Series.
Dave Roberts Commits to Ohtani Despite NLCS Deficit
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will remain in the starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. Speaking at Dodger Stadium on the eve of the matchup, Roberts addressed questions about the slump by stating that Ohtani wants to play and contribute to a victory for the team.
The Dodgers dropped the first two games of the series in Milwaukee, leaving them facing a two-game deficit. Historical data across Major League Baseball postseason history shows that teams opening a best-of-seven series with two losses go on to win the series 16.8% of the time, triumphing in 16 out of 95 prior instances.
Postseason Power Shortage and Batting Mechanics
Ohtani has not hit a home run since August 19, when he connected for his 30th of the season against the Colorado Rockies. Since entering the postseason, he has failed to record a single extra-base hit or an RBI, striking out seven times across 24 plate appearances. He has not pitched since July 4 against the San Diego Padres due to discomfort in his left knee and right biceps.
Data published by Major League Baseball’s official website highlights a stark shift in Ohtani’s performance against fastballs. Through August 19, he batted .280 against pitches traveling at or above 95 miles per hour, but that mark dropped to .036 afterward. While tracking data shows his bat speed remained steady at 74.9 miles per hour after August 20—virtually unchanged from his 74.7 mph season average—his point of contact shifted inward toward his body by 13 centimeters. Major League Baseball analysts noted that the shift indicates he is either committing to his swing late or failing to reach necessary bat speed at the point of impact.
Roberts acknowledged the offensive dip, particularly the decline in power hitting, but noted that Ohtani reported finding clues to correct his mechanics during recent adjustments.
Rays Even American League Championship Series
In the American League Championship Series, the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3 to 1 in Game 2, evening the series at 1 win and 1 loss. The two teams are scheduled to travel to Cleveland for Game 3.
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