Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani Dominates Again, Says He Feels “At His Peak” Right Now

Dodgers superstar discusses his dominant outing, offensive struggles, mechanical adjustments, and confidence as a two-way player.

Originally published at Dodgersbeat.com

LOS ANGELES, CA —Shohei Ohtani turned in seven shutout innings in one of his sharpest starts of the season, but afterward, the Dodgers superstar said his outing was built more around trusting his own process than attacking the opposing lineup in any specific way.

Shohei Ohtani Focused on Execution Over Opponent Adjustments

“First and foremost, I focused on what I needed to do,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “Then while watching the hitters’ reactions, I talked with Will (Smith) and the pitching coaches and adjusted from there.”

Ohtani and catcher Will Smith made in-game adjustments throughout the night, particularly as Ohtani leaned more heavily on his sweeper than usual.

Shohei Ohtani Explains Increased Usage of His Sweeper

The sweeper became one of Ohtani’s most effective weapons during the outing, and he said much of that came down to the quality and feel of the pitch.

“Even if hitters are sitting on it, there are times when I still need to throw it,” Ohtani said. “A lot of it just comes down to whether the pitch quality is good or bad, and today I thought the quality of the sweeper was pretty good.”

Despite dominating through seven starts and carrying an ERA under 1.00, Ohtani downplayed the importance of the statistic this early in the season.

Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Downplays His ERA Under 1.00

Ohtani acknowledged that small moments can dramatically change pitching numbers and said he is more concerned with maintaining his overall feel on the mound.

“The overall feeling has been really good,” Ohtani said. “But today, for example, there was a deep fly ball and the last out in the seventh inning. Depending on whether those turn into hits or outs, the ERA changes a lot. So I don’t think I’m at the stage where I should focus too much on the numbers yet.”

Interestingly, Ohtani added later in the interview that he actually believed the raw quality of his pitches was better in his previous outing despite allowing runs.

“Even though I gave up runs last time, I actually thought the quality of my pitches was better in that game,” Ohtani said. “But overall, this year has felt like a good year mechanically and in terms of feel.”

Shohei Ohtani Opens Up About Offensive Struggles

While Ohtani has been dominant on the mound, he admitted he has not been satisfied with his offensive production during his first full two-way season in two years.

“The fact that I’ve stayed healthy so far is a good thing,” Ohtani said. “But offensively, there haven’t been many moments where I’ve really helped the team yet. If I can get back to a form that I’m satisfied with, I think I’ll be able to contribute much more.”

The Dodgers gave Ohtani consecutive days out of the lineup as a hitter, something rarely seen during his career.

Shohei Ohtani Explains Dodgers’ Decision to Rest Him

Ohtani said he agreed with the decision after discussions with the coaching staff and plans to use the time to reinforce recent adjustments he feels may be helping his swing.

“I thought my final at-bat yesterday was relatively good,” Ohtani explained. “So I want to use tomorrow’s off day effectively and solidify the things that felt right so I can carry them into the next game.”

He described his offensive process as constant experimentation.

“I’m constantly changing things while searching for movements that feel right,” he said. “Even if something feels good, that doesn’t mean it will last over a long season. Improving is one thing, but sustaining it is much harder.”

Shohei Ohtani Says Slumps Are Part of a Player’s Ability

One of the more revealing moments of the interview came when Ohtani discussed the reasons behind his inconsistent offense this season.

“Maybe it’s simply a lack of ability,” he said. “Of course there are hot streaks and slumps, but being able to avoid long slumps, having more adjustments you can make, and being able to sustain good stretches longer — I think all of that is part of a player’s true ability.”

Ohtani also explained that when one side of his game struggles, he views pitching and hitting as opportunities to still help the team in different ways.

“Ideally, I’d be performing great on both sides,” Ohtani said. “But if I’m not contributing offensively, then I want to contribute on the mound. That mindset helps me switch gears.”

Shohei Ohtani Says He Feels “At His Peak” as a Two-Way Player

When asked whether handling the workload of being a two-way player has become more difficult with age, Ohtani gave a confident response.

“I feel like I’m at my peak right now,” Ohtani said. “I still feel young, so I want to keep pushing.”

Even with his recent home run, Ohtani stressed that he is still testing different ideas mechanically and mentally every day.

“Every game, I’m trying different things and thinking maybe this adjustment will help or maybe that one will,” Ohtani said. “Including past failures, I’m constantly testing ideas based on what has or hasn’t worked before.”

Shohei Ohtani Shares Simple Message About Decoy

The interview concluded with a lighter moment after Ohtani was asked about the Decoy logo visible on his spikes.

Ohtani revealed the design has been there regularly and shared a heartfelt comment about his beloved dog.

“I just want him to live as long as possible,” Ohtani said.