Before the big Game 3 of the NLCS, everyone was buzzing about Shohei Ohtani and his unusual playing pattern.
Ohtani was amazing when there were runners on base, but if nobody was on base, he struggled a lot.
In Game 3, this trend continued: four times at bat with no one on base led to no hits for him until two teammates got on base in the eighth inning.
https://streamable.com/m/umpire-review-home-run-initiated-shohei-ohtani-homers-2-on-a-fly-ball-to
Fans might think it’s like watching a magic trick that only works sometimes. It seems too predictable now!
Ohtani’s Odd Stats:
So far in eight playoff games, Ohtani’s numbers are wild: with runners on, he’s 7 for 9 with two home runs and eight RBIs; without runners, he’s hitless in 22 tries. As a leadoff hitter, he often starts with empty bases because weaker hitters follow him. Interestingly enough, during the regular season of 2024, his performance didn’t show this pattern:
– With runners: .308/.401/.635
– Bases empty: .311/.382/.654
Some folks suggest pitchers change their approach when facing Ohtani depending on whether or not there are players ready to score. But wouldn’t they be more cautious when there are runners? Others think maybe he feels pressured at certain times.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts finds it amusing how people now want to change things up just because of these numbers. He said there’s no need to shuffle Ohtani’s spot in the lineup before Game 3.
“Nope,” Roberts chuckled about changing positions. “It’s funny how opinions flip-flop so quickly.”
If they moved him based solely on these quirky stats—7 for 9 vs. 0 for 22—it would be silly! This is just an interesting coincidence right now.
What do you think? Is it just luck or something else?
