Shohei Ohtani got off to a slow offensive start for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, but has looked more like himself at the plate since the calendar turned to April.
After going 3-for-15 to begin the year, the two-way star is batting .289/.393/.644 with one double, five home runs and 10 RBI over his last 11 games.
“It’s going in the right direction,” Ohtani recently said of his hitting through interpreter Will Ireton on SportsNet LA. “Overall in my career, I think April has been OK. So I think it’s where it’s supposed to be.”
Ohtani has gone hitless in four games this month, including when he took the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre last week.
“It didn’t feel that great,” Ohtani said. “It’s the end of a long road trip, so in that sense I’m just wanting to make sure that I’m recovering and feeling better.”
Manager Dave Roberts recently suggested that the Dodgers could move Ohtani out of the leadoff spot on days when he pitches, but any potential lineup changes won’t be coming anytime soon.
Shohei Ohtani likes to walk?
Ohtani is in the midst of a 48-game on-base streak entering play Wednesday. However, he’s 0-for-7 with two walks and one strikeout so far in the series against the New York Mets. His on-base streak may have ended Tuesday night if not for an intentional walk in the eighth inning.
Ohtani is batting just .254 on the year, which comes as the two-way star tries to find his comfortability at the plate.
However, Ohtani is still sporting a .402 on-base percentage as a result of already drawing 18 walks (four intentional) in addition to getting hit by a pitch four times. Ohtani’s current walk percentage of 17.1% is the highest of his career.
“I think he’s trying to convince himself,” Roberts said of Ohtani purportedly enjoying walks. “I think that players like to hit, they like to swing the bat, but he’s smart enough to know that if they’re not going to pitch to him, they’re going to pitch around him, then it’s a better plan to take the walk.”
As opponents carefully choose how to pitch to Ohtani, Roberts believes his ability to take a walk is somewhat of an underrated skill.
“Well, I think it’s more of the discipline and also valuing getting on base,” Roberts said. “Some of the walks are artificial in the sense of he’s such a talented player, and they pitch him very carefully.
“He’s got to be disciplined enough to respect that and let Tucker and Will Smith now make them pay for walking him. Hitters get impatient at times, but he’s done a really good job of showing that consistency.”
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