Shohei Ohtani Nears Historic Baseball Milestone Amidst Challenges

Shohei Ohtani moved closer to etching his name in baseball history on Tuesday by hitting his 48th home run of the season. This achievement places him just two home runs and stolen bases short of reaching the rare 50/50 milestone. Despite this impressive performance, Ohtani expressed that this feat is not his primary focus, especially after the Los Angeles Angels were defeated by the Miami Marlins with a score of 11-9. During the game, Ohtani notably struck out three times, as reported by Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. “The home run helped close the gap,” Ohtani mentioned, “but not being able to hit with runners on first and third is something I need to reflect on.” Ohtani’s challenges at the plate have included struggles in hitting with runners in scoring position, managing only a .223 average in such situations.

The ongoing debate over who deserves the National League MVP award this season has centered on two candidates: Shohei Ohtani and Francisco Lindor. Ohtani is potentially having the greatest season for a designated hitter in baseball history, while Lindor is delivering a notable performance with 0.5 fWAR more than Ohtani, while also providing exceptional defense for the New York Mets, a team with playoff ambitions. Kiri Oler has engaged in discussions surrounding Lindor’s impactful performance this season.

Meanwhile, the season has been particularly challenging for pitcher Bobby Miller. His latest start was a mere two innings, during which he allowed four runs to the Marlins, further increasing his ERA to a disappointing 8.52. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic highlights these struggles, noting that Miller has been given numerous opportunities to regain his effectiveness after injury. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has emphasized the importance of performance at this crucial stage of the season. “We’ve certainly given him opportunities to right the ship, so I think we’re going to convene and make a decision possibly tomorrow,” Roberts stated. According to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, Roberts is considering deploying Miller as a bullpen arm during the postseason, if that is deemed the most advantageous strategy for the team. “Whatever gives us the best chance to win a particular game is what we’re going to do,” Roberts added.