Shohei Ohtani’s “Slow Start” Still Among MLB’s Best — But Dodgers Need Help Behind Him

Shohei Ohtani doesn’t exactly view himself as a fast starter at the plate.

“Overall, in my career,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton, “I don't really have a hot start in the beginning of the season.”

Technically, that holds true again in 2025 — but only if you’re measuring by Ohtani’s own sky-high standards.

Through the first three weeks, his triple-slash line (.310/.390/.646) is down from last year’s MVP-winning pace (.288/.380/.550), but only in relative terms. All three stats still ranked among the National League’s best, and his .930 OPS — over 100 points below last season’s — remains inside the MLB top 20.

He’s launched six homers and stolen five bases so far, putting him on a historic early-season trajectory. While not quite on 50/50 pace, Ohtani is tracking toward what could become the first multiple 40-homer, 40-steal seasons in league history.

And even as he's had a few uncharacteristic swings early on, the power is very much there. He opened Wednesday’s win over the Rockies with a towering 448-foot leadoff home run that nearly cleared the right-field pavilion at Dodger Stadium.

“I think overall,” Ohtani said, “it’s been a really good first 20 games.”

There’s only one area where Ohtani’s numbers are noticeably down: RBIs.

After driving in 130 runs across 159 games last year, Ohtani has just eight RBIs through 20 games this season — and seven of those came on his six home runs, five of which were solo shots. Not until Wednesday’s blowout first inning did he register his first hit with a runner in scoring position, an RBI single that scored Austin Barnes.

Manager Dave Roberts didn’t blame Ohtani for the slow start in that category. “Shohei’s in a good spot,” he said. “We just need to get some guys on base for him.”

That’s where the problem lies.

Dodgers hitters in the 7-9 spots have collectively hit just .173 — tied for worst in the majors. Entering Wednesday, Ohtani had only nine plate appearances with runners in scoring position, tied with Mookie Betts for the fewest among the team's everyday starters. Four of those nine times, he was walked.

It put Roberts in an early-season dilemma: drop Ohtani in the lineup to increase his RBI chances, or wait for the bottom of the order to heat up?

“I just feel that there’s guys who are gonna perform better than they have,” Roberts said earlier this week. “Shohei will ultimately get those opportunities.”

On Wednesday, he finally did — and the Dodgers saw signs of life from the bottom of the order.

In an 8–7 win over Colorado, the 7-9 hitters combined for five hits and a walk. One came from Barnes, who entered the game without a single hit all season and doubled in front of Ohtani in the first. But more importantly, Max Muncy and Andy Pages also showed real progress.

Pages, the second-year center fielder, went 2-for-4 with three RBIs — continuing a mini-hot streak that started with a two-homer series in Washington. “He is swinging the bat a lot better,” Roberts said.

Muncy reached base three times, the product of a subtle swing tweak. After focusing in the offseason on hitting more grounders and low liners, he found himself lunging too far forward and losing his ability to recognize pitches. Now, he’s staying back more, seeing the ball better, and starting to elevate again.

“The ball sped up on me the first few series of the season and I really wasn't myself,” Muncy said. “I was chasing a lot of stuff and I was unable to recognize it.”

Roberts noticed the difference. Muncy had six walks in the Rockies series, and Roberts pointed to one particular at-bat Wednesday against lefty Luis Peralta — when Muncy narrowly missed a home run, then ripped a single to right — as his best of the year.

“When he's getting on base, and it was a ton this series, then that's a good thing,” Roberts said. “So I do think that he’s turned a corner, yeah.”

If that trend holds, and the bottom third continues to chip in, it could unlock another level for Ohtani’s already stellar season.

Because as Ohtani inevitably heats up even more — as he always does — the Dodgers know they’ll need to give their superstar more chances to do damage.

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