Shohei Ohtani is back on a 40/40 pace. But can Dodgers give him more RBI opportunities?

Shohei Ohtani just isn’t publicly recognized, nor personally sees himself, as a fast starter on the plate.

“Total, in my profession,” he stated via interpreter Will Ireton, “I don’t really have a hot start in the beginning of the season.”

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This 12 months, that’s technically true once more — however provided that you maintain the reigning National League MVP to his own stratospheric standards.

Through the opening three weeks, all of Ohtani’s triple-slash stats are down from last year (.288/.380/.550), but only because his 2024 marks (.310/.390/.646) all topped the NL. Same story with a .930 OPS that is more than 100 points lower than his gaudy 2024 total, but still good enough to rank top 20 in the majors.

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With six home runs and five stolen bases, Ohtani isn’t quite on mathematical pace for another 50-homer, 50-steal season; but is on an early track to become the first player in MLB history with multiple 40/40 campaigns.

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And though he has taken a few more awkward swings than normal in the opening three weeks, he has started honing in on his power stroke, too, leading off Wednesday’s win over the Colorado Rockies with a towering 448-foot blast that just about cleared the right-field pavilion.

“I think overall,” he stated, “it’s been a really good first 20 games.”

The only true area of regression so far has been in one statistical category; where a glaring drop in production has signaled a key early-season problem for the team.

After racking up 130 RBIs in 159 games last year, Ohtani has just eight in this season’s opening 20 contests. Seven of them have come via his six home runs (all but one of which were solo shots). Not until Wednesday, when he returned to the plate in a seven-run first inning and knocked in Austin Barnes with an RBI single, did he record his first hit with a runner in scoring position.

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“Shohei’s in a good spot,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated lately. “We just need to get some guys on base for him.”

That actuality stated extra about the remainder of the group’s offense than its celebrity leadoff man.

From the Nos. 7-9 spots within the batting order, the Dodgers have posted a .173 batting common to date, tied for worst within the majors. Previous to Wednesday, they’d given Ohtani simply 9 plate appearances with runners in scoring place (tied with No. 2 hitter Mookie Betts for fewest among the many group’s regulars). In 4 of these spots, he was walked.

It created an early-season conundrum for Roberts, as he tried to shake the group out of a latest offensive lull. Ought to he contemplate dropping Ohtani within the lineup, the place he may get extra RBI alternatives? Or ought to he give his offense extra time to search out its footing, and hope his bottom-half hitters started heating up on the plate?

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“I just feel that there’s guys who are gonna perform better than they have,” Roberts stated this week, choosing the latter. “Shohei will ultimately get those opportunities.”

And on Wednesday, he lastly noticed indicators that could possibly be occurring.

In an 8-7 win over the Rockies, the Dodgers obtained 5 hits and a stroll from their backside three hitters.

One was offered by Barnes, the backup catcher who didn’t have successful all season earlier than doubling within the first in entrance of Ohtani.

The others got here from extra essential items of the Dodgers’ lineup building: Max Muncy and Andy Pages.

Backside-of-the-order staples who’re each batting beneath .200 to start the season, Muncy and Pages had arguably their finest video games of the 12 months Wednesday. Pages, the second-year heart fielder, went two for 4 with three RBIs, persevering with enhancements that began during his two-homer series in Washington final week.

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“He is swinging the bat a lot better,” Roberts stated.

Muncy, in the meantime, reached base thrice with the assistance of a latest adjustment to his personal slumping swing.

In an effort to remain extra on high of the ball on the plate this 12 months, Muncy spent his offseason purposely making an attempt to hit grounders and low line drives. In doing so, nonetheless, he realized he had begun lurching ahead in his swing. Consequently, he gave himself much less time to learn pitches and make correct swing choices. And even when he did, he wasn’t driving the ball like regular.

“The ball sped up on me the first few series of the season and I really wasn’t myself,” Muncy stated. “I was chasing a lot of stuff and I was unable to recognize it.”

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However now, he has returned to staying again in his stance and is in search of pitches to raise. Amid a sequence wherein Muncy walked six occasions, Roberts felt he additionally took his finest at-bat of the season towards left-hander Luis Peralta on Wednesday evening, launching one deep fly simply foul earlier than ripping a single into proper discipline.

“When he’s getting on base, and it was a ton this series, then that’s a good thing,” Roberts stated. “So I do think that he’s turned a corner, yeah.”

The Dodgers hope that the remainder of their bottom-half hitters will achieve this as effectively.

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As a result of the extra Ohtani heats up because the season progresses, the extra essential it is going to be to have guys getting on base in entrance of him.

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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.