Derek Jeter reveals biggest concern for Dodgers amid brutal Shohei Ohtani slump originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's been a very strange postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the sense that some guys who typically step up aren't playing the kind of baseball anyone has been hoping for.
That includes superstar Shohei Ohtani, who just hasn't been able to get anything going offensively.
Ohtani isn't someone people panic over, but when he doesn't do what's needed on both sides of the ball, there are typically concerns. With only 20 plate appearances, the comments haven't stopped, as the Japanese star has just three hits, including zero home runs, and, better yet, not even an extra-base hit.
Yankees legend Derek Jeter recently spoke about Ohtani's struggles, noting that this could be a bigger issue for the Dodgers. He believes that when Ohtani is at the top of his game, he's a guy who can steal a game or two in a series.
However, with his current struggles, that could be why the Dodgers don't beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
“In a seven game series Shohei Ohtani’s probably going to win you at least one game,” Jeter said.
“By himself, usually historically that’s what he’s done. If you take that game away and flip it to the other team now all of the sudden we have a great series. And as he goes, the Los Angeles Dodgers go. The hitters in front of him do better, the hitters behind him are hitting with him on base all day long. So I definitely think they need Shohei Ohtani if we’re going to see the Dodgers at full strength.”
If there's one player in Major League Baseball I'm not willing to question, it's a guy like Ohtani, who could retire right now and be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He's produced at a ridiculous level throughout his career, so there's no reason to worry about having about 20 at-bats.
Obviously, the Dodgers have been a tad worried about him and have made some changes with the now-veteran, but Ohtani is so good that he can get going at any moment and be the player everybody expects him to be day in and day out.
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