The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a historic 10-year, $700 million deal in the offseason.
They paid him all that money to be the best version of himself he can be.
And he has been pretty close to it: he can’t pitch this year due to an elbow injury, but he has been excellent with the bat slashing .341/.385/.634 with 10 doubles, a triple, four home runs, and a 1.019 OPS.
He has, however, just 10 RBI: one would think a hitter with 15 extra-bases in an elite lineup would have more.
This can be easily explained by looking at his performance with runners in scoring position.
Manager Dave Roberts feels he has been a bit anxious at the plate in the early going when he has encountered runners at second and third base.
“Shohei Ohtani has been aggressive w/ RISP (where he’s started 1-for-19), including first-pitch swinging three times tonight. Dave Roberts noted Ohtani’s aggressiveness, and said it’s more than even is usual for him. ‘We have to temper that back…we’ll address that,’ he said,” Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya tweeted, with Roberts’ remarks.
Shohei Ohtani has been aggressive w/ RISP (where he's started 1-for-19), including first-pitch swinging three times tonight.
Dave Roberts noted Ohtani's aggressiveness, and said it's more than even is usual for him.
"We have to temper that back…we'll address that," he said.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 17, 2024
Ohtani is probably thinking that a pitcher with runners in scoring position will likely try to find the plate early in the count to avoid falling behind.
However, this approach can cause him to swing at pitches that the hurlers want him to swing at.
Sometimes, it’s smart to wait out a pitch or two, to try and get into a favorable count.
Hitting is a science, and so is pitching.
It’s looking like Ohtani is in need of a slight approach change, and then the RBI will start to come and match the rest of his spectacular profile.
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