Shohei Ohtani receives fans' support after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' surprise criticism
Shohei Ohtani is coming off a historic season with over 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases. He was the National League MVP and is projected to win another one this season, but he's been off to a slightly slow start.
He does have six home runs, but he's hitting .261 with only eight RBIs and an OPS of .848. Pretty much all of those offensive numbers are off his usual pace, and he's not pitching yet, either.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was critical of Ohtani. He believes the slugger is trying to be too aggressive right now and is trying too hard to make things happen. The surprise criticism drew the ire of fans.
"I think baseball is hard. Shohei will be fine," one added.
"I don’t think he is 100% after his off season surgery," another justified.
"3 games is 'slump' for him, where he still got hits and still scored runs and got on base?" one questioned.
Other fans agreed with Roberts' assessment, though.
"F*****g 2-3ks every game, yeah it’s an issue wtf do you expect," another complained.
"Shohei's swinging and missing a lot rn. It's like he's trying to smack the h**l out of the ball but it's not working out for him. He probably should calm it down a bit," one said.
"He is trying too hard swinging at everything. How about take a walk now and then instead of swinging for something that isn’t even near you," another stated.
Despite the slow start, Ohtani still has 0.6 fWAR, which is on pace for a four-win season despite being a DH. That's low for Ohtani, but it would still be a quality season for most others.
What did Dave Roberts say about Shohei Ohtani?
Shohei Ohtani is three for his last 21. He had a chance in the sixth inning to do some damage and undo his struggles, as the Los Angeles Dodgers had two on and two out against the Chicago Cubs.
Ohtani came up short, and the Dodgers lost by a run despite three hits from Mookie Betts. Dave Roberts was critical of Ohtani in that spot, via Dodger Nation:
“He had a fastball to hit and just got too big with the swing. Where all you need is a base hit right there. I think a little bit this series, and even that last game in Texas when he came back, there was a little over-aggressiveness. The swing is a little bit longer than it typically is."
The manager said the former Los Angeles Angels star might be "trying too hard," but he knows there are times when Ohtani gets himself out instead of taking a walk.