Ohtani gets criticized because of his big swing, and wow, that's how he hits it. That's baseball

Apr 24, 2025

Ohtani gets criticized because of his big swing, and wow, that's how he hits it. That's baseball
LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani is staring at the mound after striking out in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on the 24th (Korea time). AFP Yonhap News



Ohtani gets criticized because of his big swing, and wow, that's how he hits it. That's baseball
New York Yankees Aaron Judge is circling the base vigorously after hitting a mid-month triple in the top of the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on the 24th (Korea time). ImagesYonhap News
The joys and sorrows of the two MVPs in both leagues at the beginning of the season last year are mixed. It's clear.

AL MVP New York Yankees Aaron Judge's batting sense seems to hit the sky, but NL MVP LA Dodgers Shohei Ohtani just stared at the cold bat.

Let's look at last year's performance first. Judge appeared in 158 games, batting .322 (180 for 559) with 58 homers, 144 RBIs, 122 runs scored, OPS 1.150 and bWAR 10.8. Together, the two leagues ranked first in home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS and WAR. It was evaluated as an outstanding performance compared to 2022, when he hit 62 home runs, the most in an AL season, and proved to be a unanimous MVP.




Ohtani set a historic record. He played 159 games and had a batting average of 0.310 (197 hits in 636 at-bats), 54 homers, 130 RBIs, 134 runs, 59 steals, and 1.036 OPS. He had the first 50 home runs and 50 steals in the history of Major League Baseball, so he rested as a pitcher, but naturally won his third MVP as a pitcher. It was the second time both league MVPs were unanimously decided after the previous season, 2023.

However, nearly a month after the opening of this regular season, Judge and Ohtani's performances are very contrasting.

Judge exploded again against the Cleveland Guardians on the 24th (Korea time). He went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored, including his first triple of the season, leading the team to a 5-1 victory. In the previous day's game against Cleveland, he played four hits in four at-bats to show off his peak batting performance. Judge's four hits were his second this season after the Milwaukee Brewers on March 30.




Ohtani gets criticized because of his big swing, and wow, that's how he hits it. That's baseball
Aaron Judge hits a hit in the top of the second inning. AFP Yonhap News
His triple over the middle wall in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning was close to a home run. The ball, which flew at a speed of 110.9 miles, hit the top of the fence in the middle and fell. The distance was a whopping 424 feet. the sixth triple of one's life.

With this, Judge marked a season batting average of 0.415 (39 hits in 94 at-bats), seven homers, 26 RBIs, 23 runs, a 0.513 on-base percentage, a 0.734 slugging percentage, an OPS of 1.247, and a bWAR of 2.1. The batting average, hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and WAR are the top in both leagues, while runs and RBIs are the top in the AL. If we choose the AL MVP now, Judge is likely to be unanimous again.

It's quite different compared to last year. Judge hit .191 in his first 25 games of the season last year. Judge responded, `That's baseball. Anyone can do that. Even if I'm having a hard time now, all I can say is the same. The situation should be simplified. I wanted to have a better April than last year." It means that nothing has changed particularly compared to a year ago.




According to MLB.com , the MLB Network channel was turned on on the TV ahead of the game in the locker room of the Progressive Field away team where the game was held. Coincidentally, a screen analyzing Judge's four hits was introduced the previous day. When Judge appeared on TV, juniors such as Oswaldo Peraza, Pablo Reyes, and Yovit Vivas, who were laughing and talking, stopped talking and focused on Judge's characteristics, which experts explained. Even this season, there is an atmosphere that the best hitter is Judge.

Ohtani gets criticized because of his big swing, and wow, that's how he hits it. That's baseball
Shohei Otani is striking out swinging in the top of the ninth inning. AFP Yonhap News
On the other hand, Ohtani only had one hit in five at-bats against the Chicago Cubs. Ohtani returned on the 21st after taking a leave of absence on the 19th and having his first child because of his wife's childbirth, and he scored one hit and two points in 12 at-bats in the next three games. He has a batting average of 0.261 (24 hits in 92 at-bats), six homers, eight RBIs, 23 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.847. It ranks 19th in the OPS category in the NL, and bWAR is one-third of the jersey at 0.7.

It may be because of preparations for a full-fledged return to the mound. According to the Orange County Register, Ohtani conducts bullpen pitching twice a week, and plans to play live pitching soon. He is being cautious amid the fact that his return to May has virtually failed, but he is not in a situation where he can only pay attention to hitting.

Manager Dave Roberts responded to Ohtani's recent poor batting performance, saying, `The swing is too big. You have to get a hit now, but it's unfamiliar. I'm working hard on something, but I don't know what I'm doing. I've had a few walks recently, but in other at-bats, I'm out on my own even though I can get a walk", he pointed out. This means that Ohtani's pioneering eye is jagged and has a large swing.

Ohtani had a batting average of 0.364 and an OPS of 1.107 in the first 25 games of the season last year.



This article was translated by Naver AI translator.