
Apr 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani isn’t happy with his results during an early-season skid at the plate.
Ohtani has just three hits through six games, and while he’s still managing to get on base with walks, he still has an OPS lower than .600
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“I’ve been able to get on base, and that’s a good thing,” Ohtani said. “But on pitches that I should be making impact, I’m not quite able to do that to the extent that I should be able to. That’s the part that I’m not quite happy about.”

Apr 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Ohtani is one of several cases of early-season yips in 2026, as the rest of the lineup is also struggling to produce. Of the seven qualified hitters on the Dodgers, only one has an OPS higher than .700: Andy Pages.
The Dodgers’ struggles have shown during their games, especially in their most recent series against the Cleveland Guardians. The Dodgers lost the series finale, 4-1, and had just two hits through the first seven innings—both of which came off Pages’ bat.
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Fans have come to expect much more from Ohtani than what he’s shown so far this season, as the reigning MVP has been arguably the best hitter in baseball over the past two seasons.
The Dodgers will hope their $700 million man can pick it up as soon as possible, but they don’t exactly need him to rush. Despite a rocky offensive start, the Dodgers have a 4-2 record and sit atop their division. They’ll hope to bounce back from their first series loss of the season against the Washington Nationals on Friday at 10:05 a.m. PT.
How do you feel about Shohei Ohtani’s struggles this early in the season?