After struggling mightily as the Los Angeles Dodgers lead-off hitter through the playoffs, recording just six hits and a single home run over his seven postseason games of the season, some fans have been banging the table to see another hitter, likely Mookie Betts, take Shohei Ohtani's spot at the top of the order.
On paper, it makes sense; while Ohtani is a certified weapon on base, he's rarely getting there, and as a result, the Dodgers are often starting off the game down and out before Betts goes up to bat.
Discussing this concept ahead of Game 3 of the NLCS with reporters, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the suggestion but let it be known that he doesn't plan to make a move any time soon.
“It's just funny how things change, where there was a lot of concern about Shohei not being able to get hits with the runners in scoring position — and now we're all trying to find ways… to get guys on base so he can hit, right?” Roberts said. “I kind of find that comical, a little bit.”
Asked if he thinks Ohtani can get his game back on track ahead of an incredibly important Game 3, Roberts asserted that he believes the star DH's issues are “isolated” and that he will eventually get back on track… from the lead-off position.
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“I think it's isolated. There have been times that he has to reset, as all hitters do. Sometimes certain pitchers sort of kind of trigger bad habits,” Roberts explained. “And you've got to identify that to then reset… But to think that I'm going to move Shohei to the 4 or the 3, that's just not going to happen.”
Could the Dodgers benefit from placing Ohtani at the three or the four spot? Sure, maybe the MVP would attack the ball differently with players on base instead of hoping that he makes contact from the dugout. But considering Ohtani is the highest-paid player in baseball, if he wants to be a lead-off hitter, it's hard to justify moving the MVP to a different spot, especially with the season on the line.
