Shohei Ohtani is struggling with just four hits in 31 at-bats this May and has yet to hit a home run. His OPS has dropped to .792, raising concerns about his performance.
Key points
Shohei Ohtani has only four hits in 31 at-bats this May.
He has not hit a home run in May 2026.
Ohtani's OPS has dropped to .792.
Manager Dave Roberts commented on Ohtani's mechanical issues.
Shohei OhtaniLos Angeles DodgersAtlanta Braves
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting a foul ball during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting a foul ball during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The four-time MVP has just four hits in 31 trips this month, and is yet to hit a homer in May. Following a hitless display in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani’s OPS dropped to .792. Outside of the shortened 2020 season, Ohtani has never finished a year with an OPS below .800.
“I don’t know if it’s a mechanical thing with Shohei,” manager Dave Roberts said. “But there’s a lot of popups, fly balls to the left fielder where, when he’s right, those are doubles and homers. When he’s not slugging, you can tell he’s not right.”
Q&A
What is Shohei Ohtani's current batting average in May 2026?
Shohei Ohtani has four hits in 31 at-bats this month, indicating a significant slump.
Why is Shohei Ohtani's OPS lower than usual?
Ohtani's OPS has dropped to .792, which is below his typical performance, raising concerns about his hitting mechanics.
How many home runs has Shohei Ohtani hit in May 2026?
Shohei Ohtani has yet to hit a home run in May 2026.
What did Dodgers manager Dave Roberts say about Ohtani's performance?
Manager Dave Roberts mentioned that Ohtani's struggles may be mechanical, noting an increase in popups and fly balls instead of doubles and homers.
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May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting a foul ball during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting a foul ball during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
What is Wrong With Shohei Ohtani?
The most noticeable changes in Shohei Ohtani’s profile this season are in his swing. Some slight tweaks in how he has swung the bat could see him return to the MVP-caliber player Dodger fans are used to seeing at the top of the lineup.
Firstly, his bat tilt, which measures the angle at which his bat travels, rose one degree from 37 to 38. While not a drastic change by any means, it would certainly impact Ohtani’s volume of fly balls, especially with the next biggest issue: his bat speed.
Ohtani’s bat speed has continuously dropped since arriving with the Dodgers, and his average bat speeds currently sits at 74.8 mph—1.5 mph slower than the 76.3 mph he sported when he joined the Dodgers.
As a result of his adjusted bat speed and swing angle, Ohtani’s hard-hit rate has dropped 11.6% from last season. The 47.1% clip he’s hitting at the moment ranks as the lowest total he’s had in a 162-game season since 2019, when he battled a knee injury which ultimately resulted in surgery.
What Has Shohei Ohtani Done Well?
While he has had his fair share of struggles at the plate this season, Ohtani has also improved in some areas.
Strikeouts have always been something of a hole in Ohtani’s game, but he has managed to reduce both his strikeout and his whiff rates this season. His whiff rate is down below 30% for the first time since 2020—the only other time it’s been below that benchmark—and his strikeout rate is down 2.3% from last season and sits at 23.4%.
He has maintained his solid eye at the plate as well, and has a 15.4% walk rate, which ranks in the top 10% of MLB.
The superstar is clearly off to a rough start this season, but if he can rediscover the swing which has won him three consecutive MVP awards, the Dodgers will be just fine.
Are you worried about Shohei Ohtani’s struggles at the plate?
