On December 10, 2023, two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani announced that he decided to join the Los Angeles Dodgers after playing 6 seasons for the Angels. It’s certainly the biggest news in baseball or even in the world of sports. In early December, lots of fans were following the news to see where Shohei Ohtani would eventually go. In the end, Ohtani didn’t go too far. He still stays in Southern California.
While reading the news, I began to think about a key question. Will Ohtani shine in the Dodgers uniform?
Firstly, let’s take a look at Ohtani’s hitting performance against the other 4 teams in the NL West.
Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Ohtani played 8 games and had an OPS over 1.000. Last season, Ohtani blasted 2 home runs against the Diamondbacks. Moreover, Ohtani hit well against the Rockies as well. He crushed 4 home runs in 12 games and owned an OPS over 1.000. In 2023, Ohtani collected 6 hits in 3 games against the Rockies. Nonetheless, against the Padres and the Giants, it seems that Ohtani didn’t hit well. By far, Ohtani’s batting average was only .103 against the Padres. Last year, he didn’t have any hits in 3 games against the Padres. Furthermore, Ohtani only batted .167 against the Giants. Nevertheless, he had 3 hits in 3 games against the Giants last season.
In addition, let’s look at Ohtani’s pitching performance.
Ohtani didn’t pitch in 2019 and only tossed 1.2 innings in 2020. Hence, he might not have too much experience in pitching against teams in the NL West. But, he did face those 4 teams in the NL West previously. Last season, Ohtani made a start against the Padres, and gave up 5 runs (all earned) in 5 innings. However, against the Giants, he made 1 start in 2023 and gave up only 1 run (unearned) over 6 innings. Additionally, in 2021, he tossed 6 innings and allowed only 1 run. Ohtani didn’t take the mound against the Rockies or the D-backs last season. Nevertheless, he did pitch against these 2 teams in 2021. In particular, he pitched well against the Rockies, giving up just 1 run in 7 innings.
Finally, let’s look at Ohtani’s performance at Dodger stadium, which will be his new home. By far in his career, Ohtani hits .357/.457/.679 with 1 home run and 4 RBI over 15 games at Dodger stadium. However, he hasn’t pitched at Dodger stadium yet.
There are so many reasons to sign Shohei Ohtani. For the Dodgers, without doubt, Shohei Ohtani will become an important hitter in the Dodgers’ lineup and the Dodgers’ lineup might be the best lineup in the majors. By far in Ohtani’s career, he did hit well against the D-backs and the Rockies. Furthermore, he did hit well at Dodger stadium. Nonetheless, it will be worth watching whether Ohtani’s hitting performance will be getting better while playing against the Giants or the Padres. Moreover, Ohtani underwent elbow surgery last September and he won’t pitch in 2024. Hence, the Dodgers fans have to be patient to wait for Ohtani to go back on the mound.
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