newsweek
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has a message for the rest of Major League Baseball: enjoy Shohei Ohtani's cold streak while it lasts. Speaking amid a rare postseason slump from the two-way star, Friedman made it clear that he expects Ohtani to snap out of it sooner rather than later.
Since returning from an injury in late September, Ohtani has struggled to find his form. Through four playoff games, he has managed just two hits, both singles, and owns a .421 OPS. It's a far cry from the dominance he displayed during the regular season, but Friedman remains unfazed.
"In my opinion, (Ohtani) is the best player in the world," Friedman said. "And at some point, it's going to click for him, and the other team is going to be in big trouble when that happens."
Friedman's faith is well-founded. Ohtani has been one of the premier players in MLB over the past several seasons. Despite injuries limiting him in 2026, he still slugged 30 home runs and drove in 81 runs over 139 games as a batter, posting an .889 OPS. When healthy, Ohtani is arguably the most dangerous player in the game, especially given his track record with the Dodgers before this year. In each of his first two seasons in the National League, he hit more than 50 home runs, recorded an OPS above 1.000, and earned two NL MVP awards.
Key Analysis
Ohtani's slow start is a concern, but his track record suggests it's only a matter of time before he breaks out. The Dodgers' upcoming NLCS rematch with the Milwaukee Brewers could be the perfect stage for him to rediscover his form. Last season, Ohtani delivered a monstrous performance in the NLCS against Milwaukee, hitting three home runs and striking out 10 batters as the Dodgers swept the Brewers. Milwaukee will be desperate to avoid a similar fate, but they face a daunting task against what may be the best Dodgers pitching staff in years.
The Dodgers have yet to announce their pitching staff for the series, but two-time Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell are sure to be included, along with World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and All-Star Tyler Glasnow. Game 1 of the NLCS is scheduled for Sunday at 8 a.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Originally reported by newsweek.