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Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts came to the defense of two-way stud Shohei Ohtani amid his offensive struggles.
During a recent episode of On Base with Mookie Betts featuring Jo Adell, Betts delivered a direct response to fans asking, “What’s wrong with Shohei Ohtani?”
"If he doesn't get a hit or if he has a couple bad games it's like ' What's wrong with Shohei?,' Betts said. "Well he did just go seven innings, two hits, he does have a point seven ERA. You forget about all the other ways he affects the game."
Adell, Ohtani’s former teammate, also praised his remarkable two-way ability and reflected on what it was like sharing the field with him during their time together.
"Think about that, he would pitch, leadoff, work the count just like he would any other position player and then go out and throw seven innings with three hits and no runs and we expected it.
"I had to wake myself up and say, 'This is ridiculous.' Sitting on the bench and expecting a guy to go out and do this in a major league game is insane."
Shohei Ohtani’s pitching excellence offsetting slow offensive start
Ohtani is truly one of one, and while his offense is far from where many expect it to be at this point in the season, his pitching is at peak form.
The four-time MVP is on a tear at the mound, tallying a 0.82 ERA in seven starts along with 50 strikeouts, 488 ERA+, 2.38 FIP, 0.81 WHIP and holds a 3-2 record in 44 innings.
As for the offense, it hasn’t fully clicked yet. Ohtani is currently hitting .265 and is on pace for roughly 24 home runs. Still, it’s only mid-May, and the expectation remains that he’ll eventually find another gear sooner rather than later.
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