Shohei Ohtani isn’t exactly known for coming out of the gate swinging. He’s not all about that hot start life, ya know? Like, he’s chill at the plate, taking his time to warm up. He’s like, “I don’t really do the whole blazing start thing at the beginning of the season.” And I guess stats-wise, he’s kinda right, but only if you compare him to his MVP season last year. This year, his numbers are a bit lower, but still pretty solid. Like, his OPS is still up there, ranking top 20 in the majors. And he’s not too far off from having another 40/40 season, which would be insane.
But, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – the RBIs. Ohtani’s RBI count is not looking so hot right now. He’s got like, what, 8 RBIs in 20 games? And most of those are from his solo homers. It’s like, dude needs some runners on base to knock in. The team needs to step up, man. The guys at the bottom of the order have been struggling big time. Their batting average is in the dumps, tied for worst in the league. Ohtani’s not getting many chances with runners in scoring position, and when he does, he’s getting walked. It’s a tough situation, for sure.
So, what’s the solution here? Should they move Ohtani down in the lineup to get more RBI chances? Or should they just wait it out and hope the offense picks up? Manager Dave Roberts seems to be leaning towards the latter. He’s like, “Nah, Shohei will get his chances eventually. We just need to give it time.” And you know what? Maybe he’s onto something.
And hey, guess what happened on Wednesday? The bottom of the lineup actually came through. Barnes, Muncy, and Pages finally showed up to the party. Barnes got his first hit of the season, Muncy made some adjustments to his swing and looked sharp, and Pages had a solid game with three RBIs. It’s like the team is starting to click, you know?
Muncy talked about how he had to tweak his swing to get back on track. He was chasing too much and not hitting like himself. But now, he’s back to his old ways, looking to drive the ball. And it showed in his at-bats. Roberts even said it was Muncy’s best plate appearance of the season. It’s cool to see him bounce back like that.
So, the Dodgers are hoping that this is just the beginning. They need the bottom of the order to step up and get on base for Ohtani. Because as he starts heating up, they’ll need those guys to set the table for him. It’s a team effort, man. And if they can keep this momentum going, who knows what they can achieve this season? Exciting times ahead, for sure.
