Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Confirms Stance On Shohei Ohtani Remaining Leadoff Hitter With Mookie Betts Injured

Shohei Ohtani has surely moved past the struggles he experienced at the beginning of June. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is currently running havoc on the league. However, there’s one key difference between now and when the season began. The two-way phenom began the season as the no.2 batter but now he’s the leadoff. And that has given rise to a major speculation, could he permanently be playing that position?

Earlier Mookie Betts owned that position. Yes, the 2018 MVP excelled there and was perhaps one of the biggest lynchpins for the Dodgers’ attack. However, what Ohtani is doing right now is just on a different level. That was one of the reasons why the skipper Dave Roberts had to answer the reporters on whether the team discussed keeping Ohtani as a leadoff even after Betts returned. 

“It’s a good thought,” Roberts said during his postgame conference. “Mookie obviously is our leadoff hitter but you can kind of navigate the right left right left situation, what it looks like, I think it’s a good conversation.” However, while Roberts didn’t deny the possibility he also expressed a sentiment that’s always been struck with Ohtani – position doesn’t really matter for him.

“I don’t think with Shohei it matters,” Roberts said. “I think some players, it might matter but he’s just so focused on being a good teammate and playing well. So, you know, I don’t think that where he’s hitting is going to be affecting him really.” Certainly, Ohtani has always been open to challenges. However, one can’t deny that he’s doing something special as a leadoff.

That has been visible even more clearly in the latest series against his former team the LA Angels. While the series is currently split between the Dodgers and Angels, Ohtani has been the one who has consistently outperformed the opposition.

Shohei Ohtani creates an unreal record during the Dodgers vs Angels series 

The two-way phenom has been on a roll since shifting to the leadoff position. However, what he’s doing in the Angels series is unreal by many metrics. In game one, Shohei Ohtani hit a massive 455-foot homer. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost that game 3-2. Still, a theme had been set and Shotime continued on that fine form on Saturday when he hit another homer. This time it went even further at 459 feet! 

Later MLB shared a ridiculous stat. No batter has hit 450+ foot homers on consecutive days at Dodger Stadium during the Statcast era (since 2015). On top of that, Ohtani dominates the list of hardest-hit balls by a Dodger this season. The fact that he’s doing all of that while still recovering from his elbow surgery is awe-inspiring. And that has raised another important question.

Ohtani currently leads the NL with 23 home runs and all of MLB with a .321 batting average. With 97 hits he’s 3rd overall in major leagues. And now with Mookie Betts missing over a month of action, could Ohtani be the favorite for NL MVP as a DH? The answer will arrive soon.