Shohei Ohtani enjoyed a historic debut season with the Los Angeles Dodgers before going on to struggle a bit in his first taste of playoff baseball.
The two-way star hit .230/.373/.393 with one double, three home runs and 10 RBI over 16 games, striking out 22 times in 61 at-bats. Ohtani specifically didn’t make much of an impact against the New York Yankees in the World Series due in part to dislocating his right shoulder.
But now healthy and having some postseason experience under his belt, Ohtani could potentially make an even bigger impact for the Dodgers this year. He is off to a good start after going 3-for-9 with two home runs and four RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series.
“I think so,” manager Dave Roberts answered when asked if Ohtani learned from the playoffs last year. “I think that superstars always want to perform on the biggest stage, but you have to let the game come to you.
“And I think that last year, certainly early on, I felt that there was a little bit more chase in there and appreciating the fact that teams aren’t going to let him beat them. And when you can hone in your chase, to get into a count, which he did yesterday, to then get a pitch to hit, that’s a result.
“I think he’s had a great September as far as the chase, which has sort of prepared him for the postseason.”
Ohtani hit a career-best 55 home runs this year and closed out the final month of the regular season on a positive note by posting a 1.165 on-base plus slugging in 24 games.
Shohei Ohtani starting Game 1 of NLDS
Ohtani is scheduled to make his Dodgers postseason pitching debut in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Ohtani went 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 14 starts during the regular season. When he faced the Phillies on Sept. 16, Ohtani fired five hitless innings.
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!
