The Los Angeles Dodgers entered this season with the kind of roster that leaves very little room for patience. Two straight World Series titles already raised the standard. Adding Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker only made the expectations louder. The Dodgers were not just supposed to contend again. They were supposed to make another deep run look inevitable.
That has not always been the case through the opening stretch of the season. The Dodgers are still at the top of the NL West after their 5-4 win over the San Diego Padres, but the margin has been tighter than expected.
Part of that conversation has centered on Shohei Ohtani. The four-time MVP has not been the offensive force fans have grown accustomed to, and the questions have grown louder.
On a recent ‘On Base’ podcast episode, Mookie Betts had something to say about that.
Betts Makes His Feelings Clear on Ohtani
The criticism of Ohtani’s bat has been hard to avoid. Coming off back-to-back 50-home run seasons, the standard he has set for himself is almost impossible to meet. Ohtani is still getting on base and still producing, but the slugging dominance has not looked quite the same.
By his standards, that has been enough to create a conversation. Betts pushed back on the way that conversation has been framed.
“If he doesn’t get a hit, or maybe has a couple bad games, it’s like… ‘What’s wrong with Shohei?’” Betts said. “Well, I mean he did just pitch seven innings, you know, two hits. He does have a 0.7 ERA. You forget all the other ways that he really affects the game.”
Ohtani is not having a normal superstar season because he is not a normal superstar. The Dodgers are not only asking him to carry a lineup spot. They are also asking him to help carry a rotation.
That changes the conversation. Betts made that clear.
What Ohtani Has Done as a Pitcher
Ohtani has a 0.82 ERA across seven starts, with 50 strikeouts and a 0.82 WHIP. His stated goal this season is a Cy Young award. Through the first two months, the case is real.
A pitcher with those numbers on any other roster would be the centerpiece of every conversation about his team. On the Dodgers, that production has sometimes been overshadowed by the expectations attached to Ohtani’s bat. That is what makes Betts’ defense matter.
The offensive concerns are not invented. Ohtani has not fully looked like the hitter who made 50-home run seasons feel routine. But the arm has already been elite, and that has to be part of the evaluation.
The bat has not fully caught fire. The arm certainly has.
Shohei Ohtani lowered his ERA to 0.80 in his latest start, as he builds his case for the Cy Young.
LA Still Needs Both Versions
The Dodgers are not pretending the offense does not matter.
Manager Dave Roberts has indicated that Ohtani will likely resume hitting and pitching on the same day the next time he takes the mound. The team had been giving him rest days at the plate on pitching days to manage his workload, but the plan is shifting.
The Dodgers can want more from Ohtani offensively and still understand how much he is already giving them. That was Betts’ point. It was not a dismissal of the concern. It was a demand for the full picture.
The Dodgers need the hitter. They already have the pitcher.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 27: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a ground rule double against the Miami Marlins in the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on April 27, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Dodgers
Betts was not dismissing the offensive concerns. He was putting them in context.
Ohtani is the most unique player in baseball. The standard applied to him has to account for everything he does, not just the line in the box score on nights when the hits do not come.
The pitching has been exceptional. The offense is showing signs of life.
For the Dodgers, that is the part that matters.
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