Shohei Ohtani Will Remain Dodgers’ Leadoff Hitter for NLCS G3 vs. Mets, per Roberts

Andrew PetersOctober 16, 2024

Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers won’t be making any changes to the top of the order against the New York Mets in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series.

Per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani will stay in the leadoff spot for Los Angeles despite posting better numbers with runners on base. Ohtani is 0-for-19 with the bases empty and has hit 6-for-8 with runners on while batting leadoff in the postseason, according to Rogers.

Roberts shrugged off Ohtani’s struggles with no runners on the base, saying the script has flipped to some extent. His average was slightly better with the bases empty (.311) compared to his average with runners on (.308) during the regular season.

“It’s just funny how things change, where there was a lot of concern about Shohei not being able to get hits with the runners in scoring position—and now we’re all trying to find ways…to get guys on base so he can hit, right?” Roberts said, per Rogers. “I kind of find that comical, a little bit.”

Ohtani, playing in his first MLB postseason this year, has one home run, five walks, 12 strikeouts and a .222 batting average in seven games. He was 0-for-3 with two walks and a pair of strikeouts in the Dodgers’ Game 2 loss to the Mets on Monday.

Roberts expressed confidence that Ohtani will start to play better as the series continues on Wednesday.

“I think it’s isolated,” he said, per Rogers. “There have been times that he has to reset as all hitters do. Sometimes certain pitchers sort of kind of trigger bad habits. And you’ve got to identify that to then reset. … But to think that I’m going to move Shohei to the 4 or the 3, that’s just not going to happen.”

The Dodgers are looking to avoid going down 2-1 in the series in Game 3, and a strong showing from Ohtani in the leadoff spot could help propel them to a win.