Shohei Ohtani’s insane expectations are becoming nearly impossible to satisfy.
The Dodgers superstar hasn’t been his usual dominant self at the plate this season, hitting .265 with an .850 OPS. Those numbers would be considered above average for most players, but surprisingly modest for a four-time MVP. As a result, criticism has started to surface around Ohtani’s offensive production.
But teammate Mookie Betts believes people are missing the bigger picture entirely.
“That’s what I see now. If he doesn’t get a hit or maybe has a couple bad games, it’s like, ‘Well, what’s wrong with Sho?’ Betts said on his “On Base” podcast with Ohtani’s former Angels teammate Jo Adell. “Well, I mean, he did just go seven innings and give up two hits. He does have a 0.7 ERA. You forget all the other ways that he really affects the game.”
Adell perfectly described the absurd standard Ohtani has created for himself.
“And the crazy thing about Sho, too, was think about this: he’d lead off, work the count like any other position player, and then go out and throw seven innings with three hits and no runs. And we expected it,” Adell said.
“I had to wake myself up sometimes and think, ‘Hey, this is ridiculous.’ Sitting on the bench expecting a guy to go do that in a major league game is insane.”
While Ohtani’s offensive numbers are down by his standards, he has been nearly untouchable on the mound. Following seven scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants last week, Ohtani lowered his ERA to an MLB-best 0.82 while allowing just four earned runs all season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently took Ohtani out of the lineup versus the Giants for two games.
According to Roberts, the brief hiatus paid dividends “He just looks more refreshed. His at-bats, he’s grinding more. He has the capacity to do that. And the swing is in a better place, where he’s not trying to manufacture swing velocity by overswinging.”
Ohtani has gone 10-for-19 with eight RBIs since sitting down with the Dodgers winning four of five against the Angels and Padres.
