Shohei Ohtani reached the postseason for the first time this year and is now poised to play in the World Series after the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the New York Mets on Sunday night.
Ohtani was a key contributor in the National League Championship Series as he batted .364/.548/.636 with two home runs, six RBI and nine walks across six games.
Ohtani reached base 16 times against the Mets, which set a new Dodgers postseason record for most times reaching safely in a single playoff series. The two-way star at one point was 0-for-22 with the bases empty this postseason, but he ended the drought with a leadoff home run in Game 4 of the NLCS.
“There’s nothing in particular that I changed,” Ohtani said through translator Will Ireton when asked if he switched up his routine or had discussions about dropping down in the lineup.
“Obviously when there’s situations, I do change how I swing. But in terms of my approach, I’ve been continuing with my approach the whole time. I do think a part of it is it’s just a small sample size.”
Ohtani said all along that he would keep his same approach at the plate and it ultimately worked in his favor as he went 4-for-8 over the final two games.
“Regardless of however they are pitching to me, my plan is to stay with the same approach, as much as possible and not really be too focused on how they attack me,” Ohtani said after Game 2 of the NLCS.
“In terms of the lineup, that is not my job to consider. I’m going to be as flexible as possible regardless of any situation or anywhere in the lineup that I am placed in.”
Shohei Ohtani focused on pitch selection
Rather than change his approach, Ohtani focused on swinging at better pitches amid a rise in strikeouts. “Rather than my strike zone management, I’m more concerned when I swing at pitches,” Ohtani recently said.
“Whether that’s a foul or a pop fly. That’s something that I’m more focused on rather than the actual strike zone management.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
