Dodgers News: Shohei Ohtani’s Swing Looks Dangerous Again After Dodgers Sweep Angels

After weeks of inconsistent timing, Shohei Ohtani finally looked relaxed, balanced, and explosive again during the Dodgers’ sweep of the Angels.

 Originally Published at Dodgersbeat.com

ANAHEIM, CA — For much of early May, Shohei Ohtani looked slightly out of sync at the plate by his standards. The explosive pull-side damage was still there in flashes, but the rhythm, timing, and effortless balance that normally define his swing had felt inconsistent during a rare slump.

This weekend against his former team, however, looked like the beginning of a reset.

By the end of the Freeway Series, Ohtani once again resembled the terrifying offensive force the Dodgers built their lineup around — and it wasn’t just because of the box score. The process looked cleaner. The movements looked calmer. And the adjustments he had been searching for finally appeared to click.

On Saturday night’s 15-2 rout of the Angels, Ohtani erupted for a season-high five RBIs, finishing 2-for-4 with two walks, a triple, and a bases-clearing double.

Then on Sunday, he continued the momentum during the Dodgers’ 10-1 series-clinching win, going 3-for-5 with another key RBI as Los Angeles completed a dominant sweep in Anaheim.

The Swing Looked Different

What stood out throughout the series was how much more controlled Ohtani looked in his setup.

During parts of his slump earlier this month, his lower half occasionally appeared rushed, causing him to drift forward and lose some of the explosive separation that makes his swing so dangerous. But against the Angels, his stance looked more grounded and balanced.

The load was quieter. His posture stayed taller. Instead of seeming caught between aggression and timing, he looked decisive again.

That mattered because Ohtani’s offensive profile is built around elite adjustability. When his base is stable, he can let the ball travel deeper and still generate elite bat speed to all fields. Against Angels pitching this weekend, that version reappeared.

His extra-base hits weren’t just loud contact — they were controlled swings with better direction through the baseball.

The clearest example came on Saturday’s eighth-inning triple down the right-field line. Ohtani stayed through the pitch instead of flying open early, drove the ball with authority, and instantly turned chaos into offense by never slowing down around the bases.

After the play, he simply said through his interpreter:

“I just kept running.”

That sequence almost symbolized the entire weekend: relaxed, athletic, instinctive.

The Days Off May Have Changed Everything

Part of the turnaround may have started before the series even began.

The Dodgers gave Ohtani rare rest days earlier in the week in an effort to help him mentally and physically reset during his rough stretch. Manager Dave Roberts openly acknowledged the team hoped the break would help him recalibrate.

“We were hoping to get a reset with a couple days off,” Roberts said. “And I think that’s what happened.”

The timing was important.

Ohtani had been grinding through one of his coldest stretches in recent memory, including an 0-for-17 skid earlier this month. But rather than trying to force his way out mechanically, the Dodgers appeared to prioritize feel and rhythm.

That matters with Ohtani because so much of his greatness comes from freedom in the batter’s box. When he looks relaxed, his natural athleticism takes over.

Against the Angels, he finally looked like he trusted his swing again.

A Familiar Opponent, A Familiar Response

There is also something undeniable about Ohtani facing the Angels.

Even before this series, he already owned dominant numbers against his former club as a Dodger. And this weekend followed the same pattern.

Every time the Angels threatened to stabilize the game, Ohtani seemed to deliver another crushing at-bat. The crowd noise grew louder with each swing. By Saturday night, MVP chants echoed through Angel Stadium again — only this time for the player wearing Dodger blue.

The Dodgers outscored the Angels 31-3 during the sweep. But beyond the lopsided scores, the most important development for Los Angeles may have been that Ohtani finally looked comfortable again.

And if the stance adjustments, renewed balance, and refreshed timing from this weekend carry forward, the rest of the league may have just watched the end of his slump.