Shohei Ohtani’s batting numbers have dipped this season as he prioritizes elite pitching. Opponents are batting .161 against him on the mound, while his offense sits at seven home runs, six stolen bases, and a .265 average—prompting the Dodgers to rest him mor
In Southern California, the conversations around Shohei Ohtani this season haven’t been about his talent—they’ve been about his timing.
This is the year his hitting feels unusually quiet, even as his pitching has become nearly unbearable for hitters. Through the early portion of the season. Ohtani is “a little more than 30% better than league average at the plate. ” yet his production still looks like a downturn by his standards: he has seven home runs. six stolen bases. and a .265 batting average that would be the lowest of his career over a full season. It’s enough that the Dodgers have started resting him regularly amid the slump.
Those numbers frustrate a designated hitter because they come with an expectation built over years of dominance. Ohtani is a four-time MVP—each time unanimously. But if his offense doesn’t improve dramatically, he may not be worthy of a fifth. There’s a twist to that concern: even if he doesn’t leave the yard again this year. his seven home runs would still lead the league among pitchers.
Because on the mound, Ohtani has looked like something else entirely. This season, he is actively pursuing a Cy Young-worthy performance. Opponents are batting just .161 against him as a pitcher.
The seasonal contradiction is hard to ignore: elite pitching paired with a down year at the plate.
Back before this season. there were already hints that Ohtani might excel at hitting and pitching—but not always at the same time. His best. most demanding season as a starter prior to now came in 2022. when he posted a 2.33 ERA over 166 innings for the Los Angeles Angels. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting that year. and at the plate he hit 34 home runs (good for 11th-best in baseball). Offensively, his all-around profile was 42% better than league average—14th best among qualified hitters.
That 2022 season also came with just one MVP under his belt, the novelty still intact: no one had yet fully adjusted to the idea of an athlete being among the best at two different jobs in the same sport.
Then came 2024.
Unable to pitch during his return from Tommy John surgery. Ohtani’s offense reached a new level—for himself. and for baseball history. In his first season with the Dodgers and en route to his first World Series ring. he became the first ever member of the 50/50 club: 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. Those totals were more than double his previous career high, and he finished with a .310 batting average. The offensive run propelled him to the first MVP win by a DH.
He didn’t just adapt to a different role—he leaned into what he could do with the extra workload. When injury limited him to offense, he became an absolute thief on the basepaths, finishing second in MLB in stolen bases that season. The new rules limiting pickoffs also played a part.
Before this year, the blueprint felt clear: when Ohtani’s focus shifted, his production rose to match it.
Now the focus is different again.
Heading into this season—now more than two years removed from his second elbow surgery—it was no secret that Ohtani aspired to be the league’s best pitcher. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in spring training. “He seems like he’s on a mission. pitching-wise. ” and added. “Whenever we’ve seen him on a mission. good things happen.”.
By the time the season reached its early stretch, the results were obvious. Ohtani the pitcher has been practically unhittable, with opposing players batting .161 against him. The hitter, though, appears to be paying the price.
His bat speed is down this season: it’s still above league average, but it is a full mile an hour slower than last season. His percentage of fast swings is also way down—part of a swing profile that suggests he’s carrying more load than the bat alone.
Fatigue has become a real concern in a sport where October is always waiting. The Dodgers started keeping him out of the lineup on days that he pitched. Last week, they added an extra day of rest.
Over the weekend, that approach intersected with another moment of clarity. Ohtani exploded offensively against his former club in Anaheim, going 6-for-13 with seven RBIs as the Dodgers swept them.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “We were hoping to get a reset with a couple days off,” and added, “and I think that’s what happened.”
After those days off, Ohtani didn’t look so tired anymore.
Some people will interpret that improvement as proof that Ohtani can’t truly do both at full force. That argument would fold this season into a simple choice—pitcher or hitter.
But Ohtani’s career story doesn’t really support simplicity. He has always been human: subject to aging, subject to recovery, subject to the limits of space and time. His energies are not infinite.
And yet, what’s still striking is how clearly his talent shows up once the priorities shift.
There’s a broader reality around him too. This season, 491 pitchers have thrown at least five innings. All of them would probably trade their mound work instantly if it came with what Ohtani is doing—because none of them are hitting at all.
The season’s central question is therefore not whether Ohtani can be great. It’s whether the balance point can be adjusted—on purpose, in real time—between what he chooses to chase and what the body can sustain.
The Dodgers are already moving him around in that pursuit. The rest days, the lineup decisions, the extra day added last week—those aren’t small adjustments in a year where they plan to play deep into October.
At the same time, Ohtani’s output at the plate has not disappeared. It has just fallen into a different rhythm. And because he’s producing at a Cy Young level as a pitcher, the season now carries a particular kind of tension: everyone can see his priorities, because the numbers are telling on him.
Months remain. Whether he can nudge pitching prowess down a bit for better results at the plate—or whether the capacity behind the scenes simply keeps expanding—will shape the rest of the year.
It’s already clear that his season is making a compelling case for his first Cy Young award. A fifth MVP would likely follow if the offensive production catches up. The Dodgers. meanwhile. have the highest odds to win the World Series of any team in baseball right now. which would be Ohtani’s third championship ring.
Then there’s the question fans keep returning to whenever Ohtani looks unstoppable: what will he try to do next? If this year is any clue, the answer may come when his next priority becomes undeniable.
Shohei Ohtani Dodgers Cy Young MVP pitching batting slump Tommy John surgery Dave Roberts Andrew Friedman 50/50 club