Milwaukee has seen how quickly Shohei Ohtani can turn a quiet October into a one-man show. The Dodgers arrive for Sunday’s National League Championship Series opener at American Family Field believing their two-way star is close to finding that gear again, even after a difficult stretch at the plate that has lasted more than two months.
A familiar October threat for Milwaukee
Ohtani was scuffling through last year’s National League Division Series and the opening portion of the NLCS before erupting against the Brewers in Game 4. He drove three home runs and, on the mound, struck out 10 over six scoreless innings as Los Angeles completed a sweep and moved on to the World Series.
That memory remains part of the backdrop as the clubs meet again. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Ohtani remains capable of changing a series without much warning.
“To me, he is the best player in the world,” Friedman said after Los Angeles finished its NLDS victory in Atlanta. “At some point it is going to click, and when it does, the other club is going to be in a lot of trouble.”
Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski, slated to start Game 1, said the assignment does not change simply because Ohtani has been in a slump.
“You still have to pitch to him as if he is the best in the world,” Misiorowski said. “Trust your stuff, compete against him and take care of your job.”
- NLCS Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday at 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. PT.
- The game will be played at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
- Misiorowski will open the series for the Brewers.
Health has improved, but the swing remains a work in progress
The difference from last October is that Ohtani is managing physical issues. Before the NLDS, he acknowledged lingering trouble with his right biceps and left knee, ailments that have bothered him since at least June and contributed to his late-season offensive slide.
Los Angeles feels better about his physical condition now than it did earlier in the season. Ohtani received added recovery time during his 15-day injured list stay in September, then had the bye before the Division Series. Still, the Dodgers have seen signs that something remains off, whether in his mechanics or his decisions at the plate.
On the eve of the NLCS, Ohtani took several rounds against a velocity machine on the field. He has rarely taken on-field batting practice this season, generally using it when he is searching for a particular feel in his swing.
Hitting coach Aaron Bates described the session as productive and said the work was not limited to that afternoon.
“His work today was really good,” Bates said. “It has also been good in the cages and during the games. This was more about finding the sensations he wants to have.”
The Dodgers want patience, not extra effort
Ohtani went 2-for-13 in four NLDS games against Atlanta, a .154 average, with four strikeouts. He did reach base once in each game: hits in the first two contests, followed by walks in the final two.
His most important sequence in Game 4 did not include a swing. In the second inning, Ohtani drew a five-pitch walk, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error and scored when Atlanta made another error in the field.
- Ohtani has not hit a home run since Aug. 18.
- He has driven in only one run since that date.
- Just 37.5% of the pitches he has seen this postseason have landed in the strike zone, the second-lowest share among hitters with at least 50 pitches seen.
- Against pitches outside the zone, he has chased 33.3% of the time when facing at least 25 such pitches.
- That chase rate is above both the 30.7% average for that postseason group and Ohtani’s 30% regular-season mark.
Manager Dave Roberts has sensed that Ohtani has occasionally pressed while trying to break through. Bates said the answer may be reducing the intensity rather than trying to manufacture a big swing.
“When the effort level settles down, he can let the ball travel deeper, track it longer and swing at better pitches,” Bates said. “Mechanically, he has been in a pretty good place. It is more about dialing it back a little.”
Roberts expects Milwaukee to remain careful with Ohtani regardless of his recent numbers. Last year’s damage against Brewers pitching is not easily forgotten, and the Dodgers’ message to their star is clear: opponents may avoid the heart of the plate, so he must keep the strike zone under control.
“As long as he is in the box, he is a threat,” Roberts said. “He hit well against this group last postseason, and pitchers remember that. It is on Shohei to recognize it and manage the zone. I do not think they are going to give in, no matter how he has swung it over the past couple of months.”
